title: Infliximab treatment for Crohn's disease: one-year experience in a Dutch academic hospital.
abstract: The aim of this study was to report the 1-year clinical experience with infliximab treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) in the Netherlands. All 73 CD patients receiving infliximab infusions were prospectively followed during 1 year after the drugs' registration in the Netherlands. Clinical response and adverse events were assessed for both active luminal disease as well as fistulous disease. A total of 212 infusions were administered to 57 patients with active luminal CD and 16 patients with fistulous CD. The mean duration between infusions was 60 days. In 17% of patients, adverse events were recorded, of which one was serious. The response rate was 81% in active luminal CD and 87% in fistulous disease. Response rates were highest in patients receiving concomitant methotrexate as maintenance therapy. Steroids could successfully be tapered off in 73% of responding luminal CD patients and 100% of responding CD patients with fistulae. Eleven patients showed a loss of response to continuous infliximab readministration. Our clinical experience with infliximab for active luminal and fistulous CD showed that the administration is safe, effective, and has high steroid-sparing efficacy. Higher response rates were seen with methotrexate as concomitant medication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Academic Medical Center, C2-116, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. d.w.hommes@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Daan W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hommes
authors.forename: Brenda H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: van de Heisteeg
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Spek
authors.forename: Joep F W M
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bartelsman
authors.forename: Sander J H
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van Deventer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D000069285:Infliximab