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During the congress, E-Posters will be accessible to all participants on the congress website 24/7, as well as in the E-poster stations in the congress center.
Preparing your E-Poster
Please review the E-Poster format requirements carefully when preparing your E-Poster. Should your E-Poster not meet the mentioned requirements, it may not be displayed as described above.
E-Poster Submission Deadline
Please prepare and upload your E-Poster no later than March 14, 2026 11.59PM CET. After this date, you will no longer be able to prepare and upload your E-poster and it will not be displayed and accessible on the congress website.
Please follow the instructions below to input your abstract title.
Abstract titles should be brief and reflect the content of the abstract.
Refractory chronic pruritus is a significant clinical manifestation in various hepatobiliary disorders, including primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis, cholangiocarcinoma, and hereditary cholestasis. Cholestasis is the underlying trigger, causing pruritus that ranges from mild to severely disabling, resulting in major impairment of Quality of Life, sleep disturbance, depression, and even suicidal ideation. When standard medical therapies fail, Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is explored as a therapeutic option for this intractable pruritus.
Objective: This study aims to describe the clinical response to Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) in patients with hepatobiliary disease and pruritus refractory to pharmacological management.
Type of Study: Retrospective Case Series (2018–2024) from the Nephrology-led Apheresis Unit at La Cardio Hospital, Bogotá, Colombia.Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients (≥18 years) with hepatobiliary pruritus refractory to maximum tolerated pharmacological management.Exclusion Criteria: Pruritus of other etiologies. Non-adherence to pharmacological treatment.TPE Protocol: Plasma separation via membrane filtration. Volume: 1 - 1.5 total plasma volumes were exchanged per session. Replacement fluid was Albumin 5%.
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA:
N=6, female patients (100%); mean, age 43.3 years. Etiologies included Cirrhosis with PBC (3 cases), PBC without cirrhosis (1 case), PBC/Autoimmune Hepatitis Overlap Syndrome (2 cases).
Mean BMI=23 (normal range).Liver Status: 2/5 patients were CHILD A, and 3/5 were CHILD B. All presented with cholestatic hyperbilirubinemia.Transplant Status: 2/6 patients were active on the transplant list.TPE Requirement: Patients received between 3 and 15 sessions.
CLINICAL EFFICACY (ItchyQuant):
Mean ItchyQuant score Pre-TPE was 7.5 (severe pruritus). Mean ItchyQuant score Post-TPE was 3.0 (mild/moderate pruritus).This represents a 60% average reduction, reaching a threshold of clinically significant improvement.
SAFETY AND ADVERSE EVENTS:
Only one adverse event was recorded: a single episode of mild hypotension. No severe post-session thrombocytopenia was observed.Electrolyte Use: Electrolyte replacement was common, requiring mean 0.7 ampoules of Magnesium and 0.9 ampoules of Calcium per session
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is a highly effective and safe treatment for cholestatic pruritus refractory to standard pharmacological therapy, achieving a significant clinical response (ItchyQuant reduction from 7.5 to 3.0). The use of TPE provides rapid and sustained symptomatic relief, markedly improving patient quality of life while awaiting definitive therapies. This case series highlights the crucial and expanded role of Nephrology-led Apheresis Units in managing complex non-renal conditions in Colombia, serving as a vital bridge to transplant or long-term management.
