title: Overview of the use of the anti-TNF agent infliximab in chronic inflammatory diseases.
abstract: Anti-inflammatory therapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has emerged as a major advancement in the treatment of various immune mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and Crohn's disease. TNF-alpha seems to play a major pathogenic role in these chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Infliximab (Remicade), Centocor, Inc., Malvern, PA, USA), a chimaeric mAb, binds to soluble and membrane bound TNF-alpha, but not to TNF-beta. Infliximab is able to effectively regulate and mediate inflammatory processes involved in a number of different disease states. Many clinical trials in these diseases have demonstrated that biological therapy with mAbs directed against TNF-alpha is effective and relatively safe.
authors.affiliation: Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Landgrafenstr. 15, 44652 Herne, Germany. J.Braun@rheumazentrum-ruhrgebiet.de
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sieper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D000069285:Infliximab; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab