Basic clinical study of an easy and effective leukocytapheresis by the use of nonwoven polyester filter

Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) is widely used for the treatment of immunological diseases. We studied a new treatment of LCAP using a nonwoven polyester filter. In a basic study, 30-70% of the lymphocytes were adsorbed. Also, 30-68% of the lymphocyte subsets were removed. This method was applied to 2 patients with corticosteroid-resistant active ulcerative colitis. Erosion, edema, bleeding, ulcer formation, and stenosis of the colon were almost completely repaired after 6 LCAP treatments. LCAP using a nonwoven polyester filter will be a very useful treatment for immunological diseases and extracorporeal immunomodulation.