Changes in acute phase proteins after anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody (infliximab) treatment in patients with Crohn's disease.

Acute phase proteins and markers of proteosynthetic activity reflect the clinical activity in Crohn's disease (CD). The impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody (anti-TNF) therapy on serum levels of acute phase proteins and proteosynthetic markers was studied. Fourteen patients with active CD were treated with 5 mg per kg of anti-TNF in intravenous infusion. Clinical activity (assessed by Crohn's disease activity index - CDAI), alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, cholinesterase and prealbumin were assessed before and in months 1 and 5 after treatment. A sustained decrease in CDAI was observed. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and haptoglobin in month 1 (p=0.005 and p=0.01, respectively) while in month 5 the levels of both acute phase proteins rose significantly (p=0.003 for alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and p=0.02 for haptoglobin). Cholinesterase and prealbumin significantly increased in month 1 after the treatment (p=0.02 and p=0.0006, respectively), the increase was sustained in cholinesterase while prealbumin levels diminished in month 5. We conclude that the clinical improvement after anti-TNF therapy for CD is accompanied by changes of acute phase proteins and proteosynthetic markers. The assessment of these laboratory markers may be useful in the management of CD patients treated with anti-TNF.