Granulocyte and Monocyte Adsorptive Apheresis Maintenance Therapy Restored the Loss of Response to Anti‐<scp>TNF</scp>‐Alpha Agents in the Patients With <scp>UC</scp>: A Case Report
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory condition requiring lifelong management, with anti-tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNF-α) agents often used for refractory cases. However, secondary loss of response (LOR) to these agents, due to anti-drug antibodies, poses a significant therapeutic challenge. This report describes a case where granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) maintenance therapy successfully restored the efficacy of an anti-TNF-α agent in a 26-year-old male with active UC experiencing LOR to infliximab. Following GMA induction therapy and continued infliximab administration, clinical symptoms improved, fecal calprotectin levels decreased, and clinical remission was achieved. Long-term maintenance with GMA enabled sustained clinical remission, with mucosal healing observed one year post-therapy. This case suggests that GMA maintenance therapy may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for patients with active UC experiencing LOR to anti-TNF-α agents. However, further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and validate its efficacy.
Authors
- Aki Sakatani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7975-2413)
- Yu Kobayashi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6196-604X)
- Keitaro Takahashi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4188-0246)
- Mishie Ann Tanino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3370-0452)
- Yuki Kamikokura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6087-6440)
- Nobuhiro Ueno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5448-4766)
- Hiroki Tanabe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9029-5081)
- Kentaro Moriichi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1298-3265)
- Katsuyoshi Ando (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3500-5488)
- Tatsuya Dokoshi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3678-6781)
- Shin Kashima
- Mikihiro Fujiya
Institutions
- Asahikawa Medical University (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Apheresis
- Published
- 2025-05-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/jca.70030
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.63