Clinical and basic studies on the G-1 column, a new extracorporeal therapeutic device effective in controlling rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

The G-1 column, which is filled with cellulose acetate spherical beads of 2 mm diameter, is a new type of extracorporeal perfusion device originally designed to remove granulocytes from the venous circulation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A dramatic improvement in clinical symptoms was seen after treatment with the G-1 column in two successive clinical trials. Early effects include pain relief, reduction in the swollen joints, and a continued decrease in inflammation as a late effect. The results were further confirmed in the adjuvant arthritic rat model. G-1 beads adsorb some amounts of platelets at the beginning and then about a quarter of circulating neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, and B cells, but not T cells. Various factors released from blood cells during transit through the column must have influenced the cells including lymphocytes which passed through the column. G-column actually eliminates some parts of aggressive leukocytes, but a more interesting story is the modification of blood components, which occurred in the G-1 column, and when returned to the patients, may have ameliorated the unbalanced homeostatic network and induced acceleration of healing.

Adhesion dependent release of hepatocyte growth factor and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist from human blood granulocytes and monocytes: Evidence for the involvement of plasma IgG, complement C3 and ?2 integrin

“…In an earlier study [7], we demonstrated that active complement fragments were necessary for the adhesion of blood cells to the beads in animal models using cobra venom, and both C3b (one of the C3 activation fragments) and IgG abundantly adsorbed onto the beads [28,29]. Similarly, D'Arrigo and colleagues [30] reported a major role for IgG, active complement fragments and the leucocyte Fcg receptors for adhesion of neutrophils to cellulose acetate hollow fiber.…”

“…In the apheresis column which contains CA beads, most of the peripheral blood granulocytes adhere to the beads, and the rest are activated in the column [7]. The current understanding of granulocyte adhesion-dependent signaling has come from a large number of studies that used antibodies to b2 integrin.…”

Removal of Hepatitis C Virus by G-1 Beads in Sera from Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

“…Recently, a new method of extracorporeal granulocytes depletion apheresis has been developed to treat inflammatory systemic diseases using a column that is filled with acetate cellulose beads (G-1 beads) to adsorb the granulocytes [1][2][3][4]. The G-1 beads selectively absorb activated monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”

“…The G-1 beads selectively absorb activated monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The G-1 apheresis column (Adacolumn, Japan Immunoresearch Laboratories, Takasaki, Japan) has been utilized previously in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis [1][2][3][5][6][7].…”

Effect of G-1 column (Adacolumn) therapy in rats with adjuvant arthritis on the migration and immunoreactivity of peripheral and splenic leukocytes

“…In fact, it has been demonstrated that apheretic therapy with the G-1 column results in marked clinical improvement in patients suffering from various intractable inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis [2][3][4] and rheumatoid arthritis [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and even acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). 15 In animal models, G-1 column treatment decreased the severity of adjuvant arthritis in rats [12][13][14] and in a rabbit model for Glynn's arthritis. 10 These studies showed that some blood leukocytes were adsorbed onto the column, and chemical modulation of cellular and plasma components of blood also occurred on the G-1 beads in the column.…”