Improved cerebral blood flow in patients treated by a single heparin-induced extracorporeal LDL precipitation (HELP)

The impact of heparin-induced extracorporeal low density lipoprotein (LDL) precipitation (HELP), a method that safely and effectively reduces plasma lipoproteins and fibrinogen and improves the haemorheologic pattern and blood flow properties, on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was investigated in 10 patients with chronic cerebral infarctions. rCBF was measured by the ¹³³Xenon clearence method. Patients underwent a single HELP procedure after the first measurement of rCBF, and the second measurement was done one hour after the HELP session. 10 other patients with similar clinical symptoms and findings in CAT scan which were not subjected to HELP firmed as controls. The HELP treatment produced an immediate and statistically significant reduction of all parameters relevant to haemorheology, such as plasma fibrinogen, whole blood viscosity at both, high and low shear rate, plasma viscosity, and red cell transit time. Total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides were reduced, too. The treated group showed significantly improved rCBF relative to the untreated controls to between 8.5 and 18.8 %. These results indicate that HELP has a potent impact in situation where a quick and drastic fluidification of the blood is required, thereby obtaining an improvement of rCBF.