title: Review article: efficacy of infliximab in Crohn's disease--induction and maintenance of remission.
abstract: The primary goals of treating patients with Crohn's disease are to induce a clinical remission, maintain the remission, and prevent associated complications. Various treatment regimens for patients with Crohn's disease induce a response and remission; however, most prove ineffective for maintenance of the clinical effect. A therapeutic agent that can induce and maintain remission, while promoting the restoration of intestinal mucosa, would prove to be most beneficial in such a patient population. Several studies with infliximab have clinically demonstrated that the antitumour necrosis factor-alpha therapy rapidly reduced the signs and symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. In acute studies with the chimeric monoclonal antibody, clinical benefit was associated with healing and reduction of inflammation in the bowel mucosal tissue. In a maintenance study, retreatment with infliximab maintained remission of the active disease. Additionally, treatment with the lowest infusion dose of infliximab (5 mg/kg) provided a high degree of clinical benefit with a long-term outcome.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Department of Gastroenterology, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rutgeerts
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012074:Remission Induction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab