Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2015 | Research article
An open-label prospective randomized multicenter study of intensive versus weekly granulocyte and monocyte apheresis in active crohn’s disease
Authors:
Naoki Yoshimura, Yoko Yokoyama, Katsuyoshi Matsuoka, Hiroki Takahashi, Ryuichi Iwakiri, Takayuki Yamamoto, Tomoo Nakagawa, Takumi Fukuchi, Satoshi Motoya, Reiko Kunisaki, Shingo Kato, Fumihito Hirai, Yoh Ishiguro, Satoshi Tanida, Sakiko Hiraoka, Keiichi Mitsuyama, Shunji Ishihara, Shinji Tanaka, Michiro Otaka, Taro Osada, Takashi Kagaya, Yasuo Suzuki, Hiroshi Nakase, Hiroyuki Hanai, Kenji Watanabe, Nobuhito Kashiwagi, Toshifumi Hibi
Published in:
BMC Gastroenterology
|
Issue 1/2015
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Abstract
Background
Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) has shown efficacy in patients with active Crohn’s disease (CD). However, with routine weekly therapy, it may take several weeks to achieve remission. This study was performed to assess clinical efficacy and safety of intensive GMA in patients with active CD.
Methods
In an open-label, prospective, randomized multicentre setting, 104 patients with CD activity index (CDAI) of 200 to 450 received intensive GMA, at two sessions per week (n = 55) or one session per week (n = 49). Clinical remission was defined as a CDAI score <150. Patients in each arm could receive up to 10 GMA sessions. However, GMA treatment could be discontinued when CDAI decreased to <150 (clinical remission level).
Results
Of the 104 patients, 99 were available for efficacy evaluation as per protocol, 45 in the weekly GMA group, and 54 in the intensive GMA group. Remission was achieved in 16 of 45 patients (35.6 %) in the weekly GMA and in 19 of 54 (35.2 %) in the intensive GMA (NS). Further, the mean time to remission was 35.4 ± 5.3 days in the weekly GMA and 21.7 ± 2.7 days in the intensive GMA (P = 0.0373). Elevated leucocytes and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were significantly improved by intensive GMA, from 8005/μL to 6950/μL (P = 0.0461) and from 54.5 mm/hr to 30.0 mm/hr (P = 0.0059), respectively. In both arms, GMA was well tolerated and was without safety concern.
Conclusions
In this study, with respect to remission rate, intensive GMA was not superior to weekly GMA, but the time to remission was significantly shorter in the former without increasing the incidence of side effects. UMIN registration # 000003666.