A review of leukofiltration therapy for decreasing the morbidity associated with cardiopulmonary bypass and acute inflammatory bowel disease.

Complications of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and acute inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are associated with increased morbidity and cost. During reperfusion post-CPB, activated neutrophils adhere to microvascular endothelial cells mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and cytokines/chemokines with subsequent myocardial damage caused by activated neutrophil-derived oxidants and enzymes. Leukofiltration was shown to reduce myocardial reperfusion injury and improve gas exchange as suggested by improvements in surrogate markers of inflammation and clinical end points. In acute IBD, characterized by rectal bleeding and protracted hospital stays, circulating neutrophils emigrate to the inflamed colon and adhere to microvascular endothelial cells by CAMs. Multiple treatments with leukofiltration in IBD were shown to induce long-term remission of acute IBD. Hence, leukofiltration may reduce reperfusion injury and rectal bleeding in CPB and IBD, respectively, and therefore decrease the morbidity and cost associated with these diseases.