Gianni Imperiali ¹, Arnaldo Amato ¹, Maria Maddalena Terpin ², Ivo Beverina ³, Aurora Bortoli ⁴, Massimo Devani ⁴, Chiara Viganò ⁵,Gastroenterol Res Pract2017;2017:9728324.

Our study shows that a standard course of granulocyte-monocyte apheresis is associated with a 36% steroid-free clinical remission in patients with steroid-dependent, azathioprine-intolerant or resistant moderate ulcerative colitis. Apheresis might represent an alternative to biologic therapy or surgery in this specific subgroup of patients

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29403531/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748298/pdf/GRP2017-9728324.pdf

Purushothaman Premchand ¹, Ken Takeuchi, Ingvar Bjarnason Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2004 Sep;16(9):943-5. doi: 10.1097/00042737-200409000-00023.

Refractory ulcerative colitis that fails conventional intense medical treatment often leads to colectomy. Although ciclosporin and infliximab may avert colectomy in certain cases, these treatments come with substantial toxicity and may only act as a bridge to avert emergency surgery. Granulocyte monocyte/macrophage adsorption apheresis is a new treatment and has shown efficacy for refractory colitis in up to 80% of cases in a Japanese study and is apparently only associated with negligible side effects. We report a case of severe refractory proctitis destined for colectomy effectively treated with granulocyte monocyte/macrophage adsorption apheresis. After two of five sessions the patient achieved full clinical remission, which has been sustained with the addition of azathioprine for more than 1 year.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15316424/