Changes in Treatment with Granulocyte and Monocyte Adsorptive Apheresis from the Past to Future in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Shingo Kato, Akira Ishibashi, Kaori Sugiura, Kazuhito Kani, Tomonari Ogawa, Hajime Hasegawa, Koji Yakabi, Contrib Nephrol 2018;196:200-208.

GMA decreases inflammatory cytokines and upregulates regulatory T cells. Intensive GMA is significantly more effective than weekly GMA in patients with IBD. The frequency of GMA sessions per week positively correlates with treatment effects. GMA can be safely used in pregnant women and children because of its low adverse event rates. Maintenance therapy and rescue therapy for loss of response of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibodies are effective. Optimal patients who responded to combination therapy with infliximab and GMA showed aggravation characteristics against infliximab treatment at week 4. Key Message: Prospective randomized blinded studies using a sham column should be performed for the loss of response against anti-TNF-α antibodies.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30041228/