Shunsuke Mori Transfusion and Apheresis Science Volume 59, Issue 6, December 2020, 102920 doi: 10.1016/j.transci.2020.102920

Many biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) are currently available as treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but a subset of RA patients shows inadequate responses to any of these DMARDs. This phenomenon, which we call super-resistance, is becoming a serious concern. In this study, I present two cases of super-resistant RA in which patients failed to respond to treatment with bDMARDs of any class as well as to tsDMARD therapy with tofacitinib. In these cases, leukocytapheresis (LCAP), a treatment that removes overabundant leukocytes from the body, rapidly induced low disease activity and made patients subsequently responsive to previously ineffective DMARDs. My experience with the present cases suggests that LCAP is worth considering as an alternative therapeutic option for the management of RA patients with super-resistance to DMARD therapies.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473050220302342

Satoshi Tanida ¹, Keiji Ozeki ¹, Tsutomu Mizoshita ¹, Mika Kitagawa ¹, Takanori Ozeki ¹, Mamoru Tanaka ¹, Hirotada Nishie ¹, Takaya Shimura ¹, Eiji Kubota ¹, Hiromi Kataoka ¹ , J Clin Med Res, 2020 Jan;12(1):36-40.

Based on these outcomes, combination therapy with TOF plus intensive GMA was well tolerated and may be useful for induction of clinical remission in patients with refractory UC.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32010420/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6968921/pdf/jocmr-12-036.pdf

Satoshi Tanida

poster at ISFA 2019 pag 56

Background and Aim: A monotherapy with intensive GMA, biologics or a JAK inhibitor are limited in patients with intractable Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). We retrospectively evaluated the 10- and 52-week efficacy and safety of combination therapy of intensive GMA with biologics or a JAK inhibitor for intractable UC or CD.
Method: A combination of intensive GMA (2 sessions a week, total 10 times) with tofacitinib (TOF) for active UC was performed and that of intensive GMA with ustekinumab (UST) for active CD was done. Results: Of 6 consecutive UC patients receiving a combination therapy of TOF (20 mg daily for 8 weeks as induction therapy and subsequently 10 mg daily) plus intensive GMA for moderately-to-severely active UC and loss of response to corticosteroids, azathioprine, and/ or biologic therapies, 67% (4 cases) displayed clinical remission according to Mayo score and 100% displayed mucosal healing at 10 weeks. A temporary increase in CPK were seen. Of 5 consecutive CD patients receiving a combination therapy of ustekinumab (every 8 weeks) plus intensive GMA for moderately-to-severely active CD and loss of response to corticosteroids, azathioprine, and/or biologic therapies, 75% displayed cumulative steroid-free clinical remission at 10 weeks and did such remission over 52 weeks under subsequent maintenance monotherapy of UST. The mean CDAI at baseline were 257. Its values at 10 and 52 weeks after the combination therapy with UST plus intensive GMA were 48 and 68, respectively. One case showed mucosal healing at 52 weeks according to SES-CD. No adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Combination therapy of intensive GMA with biologics or a JAK inhibitor appeared to be effective and safe for refractory UC or CD.

http://www.atalacia.com/isfa/data/abstract.pdf