Masanao Sakanoue ¹, Koichiro Takeda, Kazuhiro Kawai, Takuro Kanekura, Ther Apher Dial. 2013 Oct;17(5):477-83.

Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GMA), an extracorporeal apheresis instrument whose column contains cellulose acetate (CA) beads, is designed to remove activated granulocytes and monocytes. We previously demonstrated that GMA was useful for treating neutrophilic dermatoses and associated arthropathy as it adsorbs Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18)-expressing neutrophils to the CA beads by the binding of complement component (iC3b) and CD11b expressed on activated neutrophils. The objective of this study is to further assess the clinical effectiveness of GMA in the treatment of neutrophilic dermatoses and associated arthropathy. The effect of GMA for skin lesions and joint lesions was assessed in 44 and 23 patients, respectively. Mac-1 expression on peripheral neutrophils was measured by flow cytometry. Skin lesions and arthropathy improved in 39 of 44 patients (88.6%) and 22 of 23 (95.6%), respectively. Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) expression on the peripheral neutrophils, 27.1 ± 6.66 MFI (mean fluorescence intensity) before treatment, was reduced to 17.9 ± 3.02 MFI by GMA (P < 0.05). Clinical effectiveness of GMA for the treatment of intractable neutrophilic dermatoses and associated arthropathy was further confirmed.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24107275/

Yuji Naito ¹, Tomohisa Takagi, Toshikazu Yoshikawa

J Gastroenterol  2007 Oct;42(10):787-98. doi: 10.1007/s00535-007-2096-y. Epub 2007 Oct 15.

Neutrophil accumulation within epithelial crypts and in the intestinal mucosa directly correlates with clinical disease activity and epithelial injury in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Current advances have defined the mechanisms by which neutrophils are activated or migrate across endothelial and mucosal epithelial cells. A better understanding of this process will likely provide new insights into novel treatment strategies for IBD. Especially, activated neutrophils produce reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and myeloperoxidase within intestinal mucosa, which induce oxidative stress. Posttranslational modification of proteins generated by these reactive species serves as a “molecular fingerprint” of protein modification by lipid peroxidation-, nitric oxide-, and myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Measurement of these modified proteins may serve both as a quantitative index of oxidative stress and an important new biological marker of clinical relevance to IBD. We have succeeded in the clinical development of a novel granulocyte adsorptive apheresis therapy for IBD. In this review, we discuss current advances in defining the role of neutrophil-dependent oxidative stress in IBD.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17940831/

Takuro Kanekura ¹, Katsuya Hiraishi, Koichi Kawahara, Ikuro Maruyama, Tamotsu Kanzaki

Ther Apher Dial 2006 Jun;10(3):247-56. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-9987.2006.00369.x.

In the present study, we have shown that granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP), an extracorporeal apheresis instrument whose column contains cellulose acetate (CA) beads, is useful for skin diseases attributable to activated granulocytes and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We assessed the clinical effectiveness of GCAP and investigated the mechanisms underlying the adsorption of pathogenic granulocytes. The effect of GCAP was assessed in 14 patients with neutrophilic dermatoses and 16 with PsA. The mechanisms by which the instrument adsorbs activated granulocytes were investigated using an in vitro mini-column system that mimics the GCAP. Skin lesions and arthropathy improved in 22 of 29 patients (75.9%) and 14 of 18 (77.8%), respectively. Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) expression on the peripheral neutrophils, increased compared with normal subjects, was reduced by GCAP. In the mini-column system, CA beads adsorbed 50% neutrophils; and adsorption was inhibited significantly by treating plasma with EDTA and blood cells with antihuman CD11b monoclonal antibody. GCAP was useful for treating neutrophilic dermatoses and PsA. GCAP adsorbs Mac-1-expressing neutrophils to the CA beads by the binding of complement component (iC3b) on CA beads and CD11b expressed on activated neutrophils.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16817789/

Takuro Kanekura ¹, Noriko Yoshii, Koichi Kawahara, Ikuro Maruyama, Tamotsu Kanzaki

Ther Apher Dial 2006 Jun;10(3):287-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-9987.2006.00335.x.

Cutaneous allergic vasculitis (CAV) is characterized clinically by purpuric patches with secondary ulcerations, and histologically by leukocytoclastic vasculitis with neutrophil infiltrates. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) is an extracorporeal apheresis instrument using a column containing cellulose acetate beads designed to remove pathogenic granulocytes. Here we report our assessment of the efficacy of GCAP for recurrent leg ulcers in a 49-year-old woman with CAV. She underwent five GCAP treatments at one-week intervals. In each treatment session, 1800 mL of blood was processed. Her leg ulcers responded well and her white blood cell and neutrophil counts and the expression level of CD11b/CD18, a marker for activated neutrophils, on her peripheral neutrophils were reduced from 7500/microL to 6500/microL, 4350/microL to 3315/microL, and 64.9 MFI (mean fluorescence intensity) to 27.0 MFI (normal controls: 10.5 +/- 1.2 MFI) by GCAP, respectively. These results suggest that GCAP is useful for skin disorders with leucocytoclastic vasculitis.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16817796/