I D Arnott1, D McDonald, A Williams, S Ghosh. 1. Gastrointestinal Unit, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK. iarnott@ed.ac.uk
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Infliximab is an established treatment for steroid-resistant and fistulating Crohn's disease. Although efficacy has been shown in clinical trials, financial implications often limit its use and limited data exist regarding clinical practice. AIMS: To audit the clinical effectiveness of Infliximab. METHODS: We prospectively audited 50 consecutive patients [28 females; median age, 34 years (17-70 years)]. Disease activity and response rates were assessed by the Harvey-Bradshaw index. Clinical and disease data were collected and blood was taken for inflammatory markers, complement and double-stranded DNA antibodies. Patients received Infliximab at 5 mg/kg and were followed for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Indications for Infliximab were refractory Crohn's disease in 39 patients, fistulating Crohn's disease in six, pyoderma gangrenosum in one, pouchitis in two and coeliac disease in two. Thirty-one (79%) of the refractory Crohn's disease patients and four (66%) of the fistulating patients responded at 4 weeks. Twenty-one (54%) of the refractory Crohn's disease patients had a continued response at 12 weeks. Perianal disease was more prevalent in non-responders (7/8 vs. 12/31, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Response rates to Infliximab in our group are comparable to those of clinical trials. Despite the expense, it remains a useful adjunct to treatment in this otherwise difficult group of patients. Patients with perianal disease responded less well in our cohort.
UNLABELLED: Infliximab is an established treatment for steroid-resistant and fistulating Crohn's disease. Although efficacy has been shown in clinical trials, financial implications often limit its use and limited data exist regarding clinical practice. AIMS: To audit the clinical effectiveness of Infliximab. METHODS: We prospectively audited 50 consecutive patients [28 females; median age, 34 years (17-70 years)]. Disease activity and response rates were assessed by the Harvey-Bradshaw index. Clinical and disease data were collected and blood was taken for inflammatory markers, complement and double-stranded DNA antibodies. Patients received Infliximab at 5 mg/kg and were followed for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Indications for Infliximab were refractory Crohn's disease in 39 patients, fistulating Crohn's disease in six, pyoderma gangrenosum in one, pouchitis in two and coeliac disease in two. Thirty-one (79%) of the refractory Crohn's diseasepatients and four (66%) of the fistulating patients responded at 4 weeks. Twenty-one (54%) of the refractory Crohn's diseasepatients had a continued response at 12 weeks. Perianal disease was more prevalent in non-responders (7/8 vs. 12/31, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Response rates to Infliximab in our group are comparable to those of clinical trials. Despite the expense, it remains a useful adjunct to treatment in this otherwise difficult group of patients. Patients with perianal disease responded less well in our cohort.
Authors: T N Brooklyn; M G S Dunnill; A Shetty; J J Bowden; J D L Williams; C E M Griffiths; A Forbes; R Greenwood; C S Probert Journal: Gut Date: 2005-09-27 Impact factor: 23.059
Authors: Jennifer L Seminerio; Edward V Loftus; Jean-Frédéric Colombel; Prabin Thapa; William J Sandborn Journal: Dig Dis Sci Date: 2012-09-29 Impact factor: 3.199