Adsorptive monocyte‐granulocytapheresis (M‐GCAP) for refractory Crohn's disease

Six patients with active Crohn's disease (CD) unresponsive to conventional medications (CM) were treated with Monocyte-granulocytapheresis (M-GCAP). CD patients who scored 200–400 points in Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) in spite of receiving CM, including enteral nutrition, for at least 2 weeks were enrolled in our double series trial. Each series had 5 weekly M-GCAP and 2 follow-up weeks, and each M-GCAP treated 1,800 ml of patient's peripheral blood. After the 1st series, patients who decreased more than 50 points on the CDAI were deemed responders and enrolled in the second series. Patients with a CDAI score less than 150 points were considered in remission. The patients' quality of life was evaluated using an index (IBDQ) before and after the 1st series. The CDAI was significantly decreased comparing before and after the 1st series (258.2 ± 36.2 vs. 166.5 ± 16.6; P < 0.02). 50% of patients (3/6) responded to the therapy, and one case (16.7%) could be induced to remission. Significant removal was revealed only for white blood cells (25.6 ± 16.9%; P < 0.05), especially granulocytes (29.5 ± 22.5%; P < 0.05). A statistically significant improvement of IBDQ was revealed in the responders' group (162.3 ± 17.2 vs. 189.3 ± 11.5; P < 0.03). M-GCAP could be an effective adjunctive therapy for active CD patients unresponsive to CM allowing them to maintain a high QOL. However, it might be difficult to improve patients who could not be induced to remission after the 1st series by applying another series. J. Clin. Apheresis 19:168–173, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.