Infliximab treatment for Crohn's disease: one-year experience in a Dutch academic hospital

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2002 Mar;8(2):81-6. doi: 10.1097/00054725-200203000-00002.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to report the 1-year clinical experience with infliximab treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) in the Netherlands. All 73 CD patients receiving infliximab infusions were prospectively followed during 1 year after the drugs' registration in the Netherlands. Clinical response and adverse events were assessed for both active luminal disease as well as fistulous disease. A total of 212 infusions were administered to 57 patients with active luminal CD and 16 patients with fistulous CD. The mean duration between infusions was 60 days. In 17% of patients, adverse events were recorded, of which one was serious. The response rate was 81% in active luminal CD and 87% in fistulous disease. Response rates were highest in patients receiving concomitant methotrexate as maintenance therapy. Steroids could successfully be tapered off in 73% of responding luminal CD patients and 100% of responding CD patients with fistulae. Eleven patients showed a loss of response to continuous infliximab readministration. Our clinical experience with infliximab for active luminal and fistulous CD showed that the administration is safe, effective, and has high steroid-sparing efficacy. Higher response rates were seen with methotrexate as concomitant medication.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Crohn Disease / complications
  • Crohn Disease / drug therapy*
  • Crohn Disease / pathology
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Agents / administration & dosage
  • Gastrointestinal Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Hospitals, Teaching
  • Humans
  • Infliximab
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Intestinal Fistula / complications
  • Intestinal Fistula / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Netherlands
  • Prospective Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Gastrointestinal Agents
  • Infliximab