title: Infliximab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic use of standard therapies for atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with variable efficacy and potential side effects. Targeted therapeutic approaches, such as the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, may be a novel option.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This investigator-initiated, open, prospective, single-center, pilot study was conducted to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab in patients with AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients with moderate or severe AD were enrolled. AD in these patients was resistant to conventional therapy. Infliximab 5 mg/kg was administered by intravenous infusion at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, 22, 30, and 38, and patients were followed for 46 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Induction therapy with infliximab significantly improved all clinical parameters, but this improvement was not sustained through maintenance therapy. Only two patients with severe AD achieved an excellent clinical response by 46 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infliximab monotherapy may be an additional therapeutic option for the management of refractory severe AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. Arnd.Jacobi@derma.imed.unierlangen.de
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacobi
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antoni
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manger
authors.forename: Gerold
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schuler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab