title: Off-line leukapheresis using leukofiltration for active ulcerative colitis: a case report.
abstract: The method of leukocytapheresis for ulcerative colitis (UC) by using extracorporeal circulation (on-line system) has been reported. To perform leukocytapheresis, we have applied leukocyte elimination filters for blood transfusion to leukocytapheresis without using extracorporeal circulation (off-line leukocytapheresis system). Four hundred milliliters of peripheral blood was collected and reinfused through a leukocyte elimination filter. This procedure was repeated 5 times, and up to 2,000 ml of peripheral blood was treated. This method has been applied once a week for 5 weeks. We applied the off-line leukapheresis system to a 31-year-old male ulcerative colitis patient. As a result, the frequency of defecation and the dose of medicine were effectively decreased, and endoscopic finding was also improved. Because of the absence of complications observed with the on-line system, the off-line leukocytapheresis system that we have applied to the clinical patient is simple, safe, and useful.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan. yendo@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuzuki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanasawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000628:therapy*; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome