Combination therapy with vedolizumab and etanercept in a patient with pouchitis and spondylarthritis

Johannes Bethge; Silvia Meffert; Mark Ellrichmann; Claudio Conrad; Susanna Nikolaus; Stefan Schreiber

doi:10.1136/bmjgast-2016-000127

Combination therapy with vedolizumab and etanercept in a patient with pouchitis and spondylarthritis

BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2017 Feb 8;4(1):e000127. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2016-000127. eCollection 2017.

Authors

Johannes Bethge¹, Silvia Meffert¹, Mark Ellrichmann¹, Claudio Conrad¹, Susanna Nikolaus¹, Stefan Schreiber¹

Affiliation

¹ Medical Department I, Gastroenterology , University Medical Center, Schleswig Holstein, Campus Kiel , Kiel , Germany.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease is frequently associated with spondylarthritis (SpA). It has been discussed that α4/β7 expressing lymphocytes are involved in the aetiology of SpA. We report a case of a successful combination therapy of vedolizumab (VDZ) and etanercept (ETA) in a patient with ulcerative colitis with pouchitis and SpA. In our case VDZ was effective for pouchitis and ineffective for SpA. The combination with ETA might be a useful treatment strategy to control both diseases and first indications suggest that it is safe. α4/β7 Expressing lymphocytes are most likely not associated in the aetiology of SpA.

Keywords: INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE; INTEGRINS; SPONDYLOARTHROPATHY; TNF-ALPHA.