title: Therapeutic hotline: Re-induction may be useful to manage psoriasis relapse during long-term maintenance treatment with infliximab: a retrospective analysis.
abstract: Infliximab is an anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha monoclonal antibody that is highly effective for the treatment of psoriatic disease. During maintenance treatment, some patients may experience a disease relapse, and, in such circumstances, dose intensification is frequently used to regain efficacy. We report our cumulative experience on the use of infliximab re-induction in patients whose psoriasis relapsed during long-term maintenance treatment with infliximab. From September 2005 to January 2009, 22 patients required re-induction because of a relapse of their psoriasis. Re-induction was effective in restoring response in most patients and was well tolerated in all cases, without occurrence of serious or unexpected adverse events.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Dermatology Clinic, University of Bari, Policlinico, Bari, Italy. g.vena@dermatologia.uniba.it
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vena
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loconsole
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mastrandrea
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buquicchio
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cassano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab