Gastroenterology

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), including conditions like Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, are characterized by chronic or recurrent inflammation of the intestinal wall. Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease are the most prevalent forms. Italy has a prevalence of approximately 150,000 patients, with an annual incidence of 6-8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for Ulcerative Colitis and 5 cases per 100,000 for Crohn’s Disease.

Although the exact etiology of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases is not fully understood, inflammatory cytokines, neutrophil granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes—produced by immune system cells capable of infiltrating the intestinal mucosa—are considered key elements in the pathogenesis of these clinical conditions. It has been demonstrated that in patients with IBD, the behavior, expression, and function of cells responsible for modulating the inflammatory response are altered.

Being predominantly idiopathic and complex diseases, definitive cures have not yet been identified.

Currently, therapies used in the treatment of IBD focus on controlling and resolving inflammation by removing inflammatory mediators and cells with pathogenically active roles from the circulation. While medications provide benefits to patients, there are cases where corticosteroid resistance develops, along with side effects or hypersensitivity reactions to treatment, inevitably requiring therapy cessation.

For this reason, in recent years, methods for removing inflammatory cells through adsorption have been introduced, targeting the underlying pathology and symptomatic manifestation.

In this context, Leukocytapheresis is employed.

It is a therapy aimed at the extracorporeal selective removal of activated leukocytes, considered major contributors to the inflammatory process in IBD. This therapy is applied in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate active disease who are non-responsive, intolerant to conventional pharmacological therapies, or have contraindications to such treatments.

Molecules to remove: Leukocytes, Inflammatory Mediators
Recommended Therapy: Leukocytapheresis