Treatment of Crohn's disease with infliximab

The role of infliximab in managing Crohn's disease (CD) is described. CD is characterized by chronic transmural inflammation at various sites of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the ileum and colon. The major symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, enterocutaneous and perianal fistulas, and weight loss. Management goals include alleviating symptoms, inducing remission, promoting healing of the intestinal mucosa and fistulas, and modifying the disease process. Drugs traditionally used to manage CD are aminosalicylates, antimicrobials, immunomodulatory agents, and corticosteroids. Infliximab is a chimeric (human-mouse) monoclonal antibody targeted at human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a proinflammatory cytokine important in the pathogenesis of CD. Infliximab antagonizes the biological activity of TNF-alpha by binding to it on macrophage and T-cell surfaces. Clinical trials have shown infliximab to be effective in producing and maintaining a clinical response in patients with refractory, moderate to severe CD. Treatment helps promote healing of intestinal mucosa and closure of fistulas. Infliximab may act more rapidly than most traditional agents and produces less severe adverse effects. The most frequent adverse effects are headache, nausea, and upper-respiratory-tract infections. The recommended dosage is 5 mg/kg i.v. infused over a two-hour period. Infliximab may be given at eight-week intervals for maintenance or management of flare-ups. Infliximab appears useful in the treatment of CD and may improve patients' quality of life.