Is there a role for apheresis in gastrointestinal disorders?

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe APHERESIS is now a common therapeutic modality, with proven clinical benefits for several gastrointestinal disorders including inflammatory

bowel disease (IBD),1 pouchitis, intestinal Bechét's disease, alcoholic hepatitis and hepatitis C. Gastroenterologists have limited experience with apheresis, however, owing to the

complexity of the process. The etiology and pathogenesis of IBD remain obscure, but it is known that immunologic factors are involved and there is consensus that the inflamed mucosa of IBD

patients are infiltrated by large numbers of inflammatory cells. The treatment of IBD with leukocyte apheresis is based on the hypothesis that removal of the circulating cells involved in

intestinal inflammation will re-establish the balance between uncontrolled and controlled mucosal inflammation. The efficacy of leukocyte apheresis might not be restricted to cell removal,

however, as contact activation of cells with the treatment apparatus or a change in proportions of regulatory T cells might also have immunomodulatory effects. This is a preview of

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ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Takazoe M et al. (2002) The present status and the

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therapy in patients with steroid-refractory or -dependent ulcerative colitis. _Inflamm Bowel Dis_ 10: 251–257 Article  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND

AFFILIATIONS * Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Toshifumi Hibi & Atsushi Sakuraba * Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center of Keio University, Japan Toshifumi Hibi & Atsushi Sakuraba

Authors * Toshifumi Hibi View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Atsushi Sakuraba View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Toshifumi Hibi. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION GLOSSARY * APHERESIS The removal of blood from the body and withdrawal of a specific component. Blood is retransfused to the body once the process is

complete RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Hibi, T., Sakuraba, A. Is there a role for apheresis in gastrointestinal disorders?. _Nat Rev

Gastroenterol Hepatol_ 2, 200–201 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep0168 Download citation * Received: 14 January 2005 * Accepted: 06 April 2005 * Issue Date: 01 May 2005 * DOI:

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