Related Experiment Videos
Listeria meningitis associated with infliximab
Venita L Bowie1, Kathleen A Snella, Anuradha S Gopalachar
1School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech Amarillo Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA. vernita.bowie@ama.ttuhsc.edu
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|January 27, 2004
Summary
A 73-year-old man developed Listeria meningitis after his second infliximab dose for rheumatoid arthritis. This case highlights the risk of Listeria infection in patients on TNF-alpha inhibitors and immunosuppressants.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease.
- Infliximab is a tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitor used to treat RA.
- Immunosuppression increases susceptibility to opportunistic infections.
Observation:
- A 73-year-old male patient with RA on infliximab developed meningitis.
- Cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed Listeria monocytogenes as the causative agent.
- The infection occurred temporally after the second dose of infliximab.
Findings:
- Listeria monocytogenes meningitis is a serious infection, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
- TNF-alpha plays a critical role in host defense against Listeria.
- The patient recovered fully after 21 days of antibiotic treatment.
Implications:
- This case suggests a possible adverse event of infliximab, potentially linked to TNF-alpha inhibition.
- Healthcare professionals should educate patients on infection prevention when using immunosuppressants, including anti-TNF-alpha therapies.
- Close monitoring of at-risk patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy is crucial to prevent severe infections.