Review article: efficacy of infliximab in Crohn's disease--induction and maintenance of remission.

The primary goals of treating patients with Crohn's disease are to induce a clinical remission, maintain the remission, and prevent associated complications. Various treatment regimens for patients with Crohn's disease induce a response and remission; however, most prove ineffective for maintenance of the clinical effect. A therapeutic agent that can induce and maintain remission, while promoting the restoration of intestinal mucosa, would prove to be most beneficial in such a patient population. Several studies with infliximab have clinically demonstrated that the antitumour necrosis factor-alpha therapy rapidly reduced the signs and symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. In acute studies with the chimeric monoclonal antibody, clinical benefit was associated with healing and reduction of inflammation in the bowel mucosal tissue. In a maintenance study, retreatment with infliximab maintained remission of the active disease. Additionally, treatment with the lowest infusion dose of infliximab (5 mg/kg) provided a high degree of clinical benefit with a long-term outcome.