1.
An open-label prospective randomized multicenter study of intensive versus weekly granulocyte and monocyte apheresis in active crohn's disease
Yoshimura N, Yokoyama Y, Matsuoka K, Takahashi H, Iwakiri R, Yamamoto T, Nakagawa T, Fukuchi T, Motoya S, Kunisaki R, et al
BMC Gastroenterology. 2015;15((1)):163.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) has shown efficacy in patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). However, with routine weekly therapy, it may take several weeks to achieve remission. This study was performed to assess clinical efficacy and safety of intensive GMA in patients with active CD. METHODS In an open-label, prospective, randomized multicentre setting, 104 patients with CD activity index (CDAI) of 200 to 450 received intensive GMA, at two sessions per week (n = 55) or one session per week (n = 49). Clinical remission was defined as a CDAI score <150. Patients in each arm could receive up to 10 GMA sessions. However, GMA treatment could be discontinued when CDAI decreased to <150 (clinical remission level). RESULTS Of the 104 patients, 99 were available for efficacy evaluation as per protocol, 45 in the weekly GMA group, and 54 in the intensive GMA group. Remission was achieved in 16 of 45 patients (35.6 %) in the weekly GMA and in 19 of 54 (35.2 %) in the intensive GMA (NS). Further, the mean time to remission was 35.4 +/- 5.3 days in the weekly GMA and 21.7 +/- 2.7 days in the intensive GMA (P = 0.0373). Elevated leucocytes and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were significantly improved by intensive GMA, from 8005/muL to 6950/muL (P = 0.0461) and from 54.5 mm/hr to 30.0 mm/hr (P = 0.0059), respectively. In both arms, GMA was well tolerated and was without safety concern. CONCLUSIONS In this study, with respect to remission rate, intensive GMA was not superior to weekly GMA, but the time to remission was significantly shorter in the former without increasing the incidence of side effects. UMIN registration # 000003666.
2.
Processed blood volume impacts clinical efficacy in patients with ulcerative colitis undergoing adsorptive depletion of myeloid lineage leucocytes
Yoshimura N, Tadami T, Kawaguchi T, Sako M, Yoshimoto H, Yamaka T
Journal of Gastroenterology. 2012;47((1):):49-55.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hitherto, therapeutic depletion of granulocytes and monocytes by adsorption (GMA) has been associated with significant and insignificant efficacy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Further, the processed blood volume in one GMA session has been fixed at 30 mL/min x 60 min, regardless of patients' body weight (BW). We were interested to see the efficacy and safety of GMA when administered in relation to patients' BW. METHODS Sixty patients were randomly assigned to the routine GMA (n = 30) and to GMA adjusted to patients' BW, 60 mL/kg (n = 30). GMA was done with the Adacolumn, up to 10 sessions over 10 weeks. At entry and 1 week post last GMA, patients were clinically and endoscopically evaluated. Remission was defined as clinical activity index (CAI) ≤4, whereas mucosal remission was defined as endoscopic index (EI) ≤3. RESULTS In the BW group, the processed volume/session was 3,260 +/- 581 versus 1,800 mL in the routine group (P < 0.001). In the BW group, 25 of 30 patients (83.3%) achieved remission versus 19 of 30 patients (63.3%) in the routine group. The average CAI in the BW group fell from 9.6 +/- 2.6 to 2.3 +/- 2.1 versus from 9.1 +/- 2.4 to 4.0 +/- 2.1 (P < 0.05) in the routine group. Similarly, the EI in the BW group fell from 9.4 +/- 1.3 to 2.1 +/- 2.1 versus from 9.2 +/- 1.8 to 4.5 +/- 2.3 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS GMA adjusted to patients' BW and at a vastly greater processed volume produces significantly higher efficacy as compared with the routine GMA protocol. Further, in this study, up to twofold higher processed volume caused no safety concern.
3.
An open-label prospective randomized multicenter study shows very rapid remission of ulcerative colitis by intensive granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis as compared with routine weekly treatment
Sakuraba A, Motoya S, Watanabe K, Nishishita M, Kanke K, Matsui T, Suzuki Y, Oshima T, Kunisaki R, Matsumoto T, et al
The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009;104((12):):2990-5.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) has shown efficacy in patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC). However, with routine weekly treatment, it may take several weeks to achieve remission, and to date, the efficacy of a more frequent treatment schedule remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of intensive GMA treatment in patients with active UC. METHODS This was an open-label, prospective, randomized multicenter study to compare an intensive, two GMA sessions per week, with the routine, one GMA session per week. A total of 163 patients with mild-to-moderately active UC were randomly assigned to routine weekly treatment or intensive treatment. The maximum number of sessions of GMA permitted was 10. However, when patients achieved remission, GMA was discontinued. Remission rate at the end of the study, time to remission, and adverse events were assessed in both groups. RESULTS Of the 163 patients, 149 were available for efficacy analysis as per protocol, 76 were in weekly GMA, and 73 were in intensive GMA. At the end of the study period, clinical remission was achieved in 41 of 76 patients (54. 0%) in weekly GMA and in 52 of 73 patients (71. 2%) in intensive GMA (P=0. 029). The mean time to remission was 28. 1+/-16. 9 days in the weekly GMA treatment group and 14. 9+/-9. 5 days in the intensive GMA group (P<0. 0001). Intensive GMA was well tolerated without GMA-related serious adverse side effects. CONCLUSIONS Intensive GMA in patients with active UC seems to be more efficacious than weekly treatment, and significantly reduced the patients' morbidity time without increasing the incidence of side effects.
