Therapeutic Leukocytapheresis and Adsorptive Cytapheresis

Elizabeth M. Staley MD, PhD, Huy P. Pham MD, MPH

Transfusion Medicine and Hemostasis (Fourth Edition), Elsevier, 2025, chapter 87, Pages 399-401, ISBN 9780323960144, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-96014-4.00049-5.

Leukocytaphersis (or leukapheresis) is a therapeutic procedure in which white blood cells (WBCs) are selectively removed from the patient’s circulation. The procedure is performed for the treatment of hyperleukocytosis most commonly in the setting of leukemia. Adsorptive cytapheresis utilizes apheresis in association with a medical device to selectively extract leukocyte subsets (activated monocytes and granulocytes) from the patient’s circulation. Adsorptive cytapheresis has been utilized for the treatment of multiple inflammatory conditions including inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, Behçet’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.