title: Treatment of refractory Crohn's disease by intensive granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis: a report on two drug refractory cases.
abstract: Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GMA) is one therapeutic option for induction of remission in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Recently intensive GMA (2 sessions per week) was reported to be strikingly better than weekly GMA, both in remission rate and time to remission. Here we report two cases of Crohn's disease refractory to weekly GMA who responded to intensive GMA. One patient had not received immunosuppressive therapy while the other had been refractory to combination therapy with infliximab and azathioprine. Intensive GMA induced remission in these 2 patients. Intensive GMA may represent a therapeutic choice for remission induction and maintenance with infliximab.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Japan. skato@saitama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kani
authors.forename: Hidehiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takabayashi
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Tomonari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yakabi
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes; D012074:Remission Induction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006454:Hemoglobins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000069285:Infliximab; D001379:Azathioprine