152 153 Intestinal Disease Meeting Berlin 2006 - Dr. Falk Pharma ...

Session 6
New Therapeutic Approaches
(Part II)
Chair:
S.B. Hanauer, Chicago
M. Zeitz, Berlin
Apheresis in cases otherwise
refractory to therapy
Leukocyte apheresis can also be used in the
treatment of ulcerative colitis, but the method
involves significant investment for the gastroenterologist.
According to T. Hibi (Tokyo), the
method resembles hemodialysis treatment and
can in many cases contribute to inducing
remission in patients refractory to mesalazine
or steroids. Pilot studies suggest that the method
Fig. 34
CDAI
400
300
200
100
0
0
0
0
Box plot showing 75th and 25th percentile
I GM-CSF (sargramostim) – pilot study (J.R. Korzenik, Boston)
Congress Short Report Falk Symposium 153
*
Treatment [Weeks]
T. Hibi J.R. Korzenik
may also be useful as a therapeutic improvement
in patients with Crohn’s disease.
A further innovative concept, treatment with
growth factor GM-CSF (sargramostim), was presented
by J.R. Korzenik (Boston), who reported
on a pilot study in which patients responded
with reduced disease activity (figure 34).
K. Fellermann (Stuttgart) presented data according
to which inhibition of calcineurin reduces the
risk of colectomy by 85%. Calcineurin is inhibit-
*
*
p < 0.01
* *
0 1 2 3 4 6 8
Mean CDAI
pre: 346
post: 156
47