Granulocytapheresis in steroid-dependent and steroid-resistant patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective observational study

Despite the mounting importance of granulocytapheresis (GCAP) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, its effectiveness in steroid-dependent (SD) and steroid-resistant (SR) patients has not been clearly evaluated. This prospective observational study describes the use of GCAP in SD and SR patients with either Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn's Disease (CD). 118 patients, 83 affected by UC (55 SD and 28 SR) and 35 by CD (22 SD and 13 SR), were treated with GCAP, using Adacolumn™, for 5 consecutive weeks, 1 session/week. All patients were followed for 12months after the end of GCAP. Clinical remission was defined as Clinical Activity Index (CAI) ≤6 for UC patients and Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI)