Exploratory study of the effectiveness of granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis before initiation of steroids in patients with active ulcerative colitis (EXPECT study): A multicenter prospective clinical trial

Abstract

Background: Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) has been used for therapy of steroid-dependent/refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of GMA in UC patients not receiving steroids. Methods: We conducted a single-arm, open-label, and multicenter prospective clinical trial. UC patients who had insufficient responses to 5-aminosalicylic acid received GMA twice a week for 5 weeks. Results: The response rate of all patients was 58.2% (39/67). Of the 39 patients who achieved a response, 74.4% achieved endoscopically confirmed mucosal healing. Conclusions: GMA shows effectiveness in inducing remission in UC patients not receiving steroid.