title: Advantages of fecal lactoferrin measurement during granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis therapy in ulcerative colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fecal lactoferrin has been introduced as a useful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to assess if fecal lactoferrin can be employed to predict or estimate the effect of granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) in ulcerative colitis (UC).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study involving 21 patients with UC. Patients with moderately-to-severely active UC who were scheduled to undergo GMA were recruited. Changes in fecal lactoferrin concentration were compared between the GMA-responder and -nonresponder groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the GMA-responder group, fecal lactoferrin significantly increased 1 week after the introduction of GMA and then significantly decreased after GMA sessions. Fecal lactoferrin concentrations were significantly higher in the GMA-responder group than in the GMA-nonresponder group at 1 and 2 weeks after the introduction of GMA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that fecal lactoferrin concentration 1 week after the introduction of GMA was the most contributing factor for the effectiveness of GMA in patients with UC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the GMA-responder group, fecal lactoferrin concentration significantly increased 1 week after the introduction of GMA. Fecal lactoferrin may be beneficial for predicting clinical response of GMA in patients with UC at an early stage of GMA treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
authors.forename: Fuminao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takeshima
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akazawa
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Haruhisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohnita
authors.forename: Tatsuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isomoto
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C490098:LTF protein, human; D007781:Lactoferrin