title: CD4 antibody treatment in Crohn's disease.
abstract: Immunologic changes may play a role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Whether these changes are the primary cause of the disease or secondary to the inflammatory response remains unknown. Activated T helper cells probably play a pivotal role in Crohn's disease, although no causative antigen has been identified. Possible targets for immunomodulating therapy should include neutralization of the antigens, deletion of reactive activated T cells or, less specifically, interference with the antigen-presenting process. New, humanized, monoclonal antibodies that interfere with the antigen-presenting process are now available for clinical investigation. In particular, CD4 antibody treatment seems of interest, in view of the predominant role of T cells in Crohn's disease. Finally, because tumor necrosis factor is necessary for granuloma formation, inhibition of this factor may be expected to improve disease activity in Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Gastroenterology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stronkhorst
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Tytgat
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van Deventer
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha