Etanercept in the treatment of intestinal Behcet's disease

Behcet's disease (BD) accompanied by intestinal involvement is called intestinal BD. Although recent studies have attained positive feedback with the administration of anti-TNF-α agents in patients with BD, only a few reports on the study of etanercept in intestinal BD have been found. In this study, 35 cases of intestinal BD were treated with conventional therapy (prednisone or methotrexate) for a minimum period of 3 months (group 1). Another 19 patients who failed to respond to conventional therapy were then treated with etanercept (25 mg twice a week for 3 months). During each subsequent relapse, the patients were given the same treatment. The main outcome measures were the four criteria for diagnosis of BD (buccal ulcers, genital ulcers, ocular lesions, and skin lesions), the manifestation of intestinal involvement (abdominal symptoms, double-balloon enteroscopy), laboratory examinations of the acute phase reactants (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and C-reactive protein, and relapses. As a result of the administered therapy, the healing rate of buccal and genital ulcers, the remission rate of ocular lesions, skin lesions, and abdominal symptoms, the healing rate of intestinal ulcers, and the recovery rate of ESR and CRP were significantly higher in group 2 than those of group 1. The relapse rate in the etanercept therapy was reduced significantly when compared with conventional therapy group. In conclusion, etanercept treatment, in contrast to the conventional therapy, can result in better curative effect and less adverse reactions in intestinal BD.