CASTRO1 - Study on CRP Apheresis After Ischemic Stroke

Overview

CASTRO1 is a study to investigate the reduction of C-reactive protein (CRP) by therapeutic apheresis (CRP-apheresis) in patients after primary treatment of ischemic stroke. The term therapeutic apheresis commonly refers to medical procedures, where pathogenic constituents are being removed from the circulating blood. Elimination is performed by adsorbers outside the body in an extracorporeal circulation. For removal of the pathogenic substances the plasma is separated from the blood (circulation) to pass the adsorber. The purified plasma is merged with the solid blood components thereafter and returned to the patient. The adsorber "PentraSorb® CRP" used for CRP apheresis is CE-certified. It is designated to the selective depletion of C-reactive protein from human blood.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CRP apheresis in patients following ischemic stroke. CRP apheresis is to be conducted with the aim of reducing cerebral damage following the guideline-appropriate primary therapy of ischemic stroke. A possible protective effect of CRP apheresis will be assessed by clinical scores, laboratory determination of immunologic parameters and determination of the size of the infarct area by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study will be randomized, controlled and monocentric.

Conditions