leukocyte apheresis

{{Short description|Medical device therapy}}

{{Infobox medical intervention

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| specialty = Gastrointestinal

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Leukocyte apheresis is a medical device therapy (selective granulocyte/monocyte adsorptive {GMA} apheresis; GMDN{{Cite web|url =https://www.gmdnagency.com|title =Global Medical Device Network|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140815063424/https://www.gmdnagency.com/|archive-date =2014-08-15}} code: 47306) for the treatment of inflammation of the colon. It works by removing from the blood a group of white blood cells called activated leukocytes{{Cite journal|title = The mode of actions of the Adacolumn therapeutic leucocytapheresis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a concise review|last = Hanai H.|date = January 2011|journal = Clinical & Experimental Immunology|doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2010.04279.x|pmid = 21078086|pmc = 3010911|volume = 163 | issue = 1 |pages = 50–58|display-authors=etal}} that play a key role in the inflammatory stages of ulcerative colitis (UC).{{Cite journal|title = Increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils and regulation by interleukin 10 during intestinal inflammation|last = Nikolaus S., Schreiber S.|date = April 1998|journal = Gut|doi = 10.1136/gut.42.4.470|volume = 42|issue = 4|pages = 470–476|display-authors=etal|pmc = 1727082|pmid=9616306}} Selectively reducing these cells in the blood helps to reduce inflammation in the colon.{{Cite journal|title = Decreased numbers of FoxP3-positive and TLR-2-positive cells in intestinal mucosa are associated with improvement in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease following selective leukocyte apheresis.|last = Muratov V.|date = 2008|journal = Journal of Gastroenterology|volume = 43|issue = 4|pages = 277–282|doi = 10.1007/s00535-007-2156-3|pmid = 18458843|s2cid = 23733856|display-authors=etal}} Leukocyte apheresis can help UC patients with chronic, grumbling disease who are either unsuitable for, intolerant of, or failing on medicines described above.{{Cite web|url = https://www.ecco-ibd.eu/index.php/publications/congress-abstract-s/abstracts-2015/item/p511-efficacy-and-safety-of-granulocytemonocyte-adsorptive-apheresis-in-steroid-dependent-active-ulcerative-colitis-with-insufficient-response-or-intolerance-to-immunosuppressants-andor-biological-therapies-the-art-trial-results-at-24-and-48-weeks.html?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czo5OiJhZGFjb2x1bW4iO30|title = P511 Efficacy and safety of granulocyte/monocyte adsorptive apheresis in steroid-dependent Active Ulcerative Colitis with insufficient response or intolerance to immunosuppressants and/or biological therapies (the ART trial): Results at 24 and 48 weeks|date = 2015|website = ecco-ibd.eu|publisher = The European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO)|last = Dignass A.|display-authors=etal}}