Infliximab therapy for pediatric Crohn's disease

Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2007 Dec;7(12):1869-80. doi: 10.1517/14712598.7.12.1869.

Abstract

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that may involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by transmural intestinal lesion in a genetically susceptible host. Anti-TNF-alpha neutralising agent, infliximab, the chimeric monoclonal IgG1 antibody, is indicated for pediatric patients with CD and medically refractory luminal and fistulising disease. The present clinical practice for infliximab use is induction sequence of 5 mg/kg at 0, 2 and 6 weeks administered intravenously and followed by infusion every 8 weeks thereafter. Careful attention should be paid to the potential adverse events, especially infections and malignancy. Recently, fatal cases in young patients with hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma treated with infliximab and concomitant purine analogs were reported. In this review the authors summarize the present knowledge of infliximab therapy in children with CD based on the available published literature.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal* / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal* / pharmacology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal* / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Crohn Disease* / drug therapy
  • Crohn Disease* / metabolism
  • Crohn Disease* / physiopathology
  • Gastrointestinal Agents* / administration & dosage
  • Gastrointestinal Agents* / pharmacology
  • Gastrointestinal Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Infliximab
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Multicenter Studies as Topic*
  • Neoplasms / etiology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* / adverse effects
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* / drug effects
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* / physiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Gastrointestinal Agents
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Infliximab