Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), a chronic aseptic inflammatory skin disease characterized by skin ulcers with elevated and undermined borders, is resistant to conventional therapies. PG is elicited by activated neutrophils and macrophages and is often associated with systemic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, aortitis syndrome, and hematopoietic disorders. This single-center study assessed the efficacy and safety of selectively depleting myeloid-lineage leukocytes in patients with PG. Patients with PG, aged 20 or over, received 5 or 10 treatment sessions of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GMA), once or twice a week. Treatment efficacy was assessed based on the rate of skin ulcer reduction, the visual analog scale of pain, and the physician's global assessment of the skin lesions. A complete response (CR) was obtained in eight patients, a nearly complete response (nCR) in three patients, and a partial response (PR) in two patients. In four of the other six, the disease remained stable (SD) and in two we observed disease progression (PD). No severe adverse events were recorded. Our results suggest that GMA is a useful and safe treatment modality for PG.
Keywords: granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis; granulocytes; monocytes; neutrophils; pyoderma gangrenosum; skin ulcer.
© 2021 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.