title: The impact of infliximab induction therapy on mucosal healing and clinical remission in Polish pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the clinical efficacy and the impact of infliximab (IFX) induction therapy on mucosal healing in Polish children with Crohn's disease (CD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 66 children (29 boys and 37 girls) aged 14.06 ± 3.59 years with CD diagnosed at the mean age of 8.4 ± 7.3 years were included in the study. Patients received IFX (5 mg/kg) in three repeated infusions at 0, 2, and 6 weeks. The clinical activity of the disease was assessed using the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) and the endoscopic activity was scored using the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's disease at baseline and at week 10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two (33%) of the studied patients reached clinical remission (PCDAI ≤ 10), 26 (39%) showed a clinical response (PCDAI between 15 and 30), and 18 (28%) did not respond to the therapy. When comparing data at baseline and at week 10, significant decreases were observed in the median PCDAI, C-reactive protein, and platelet count. In addition, a significant increase in BMI was noted. A significant decrease in the Simple Endoscopic Score for CD was observed between the initial and the control colonoscopies. Fifteen out of 66 patients (22.7%) had score 0 in the control endoscopy at week 10. No adverse events leading to therapy termination were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biological therapy with IFX enables mucosal healing in pediatric patients with CD. Induction therapy with infliximab was found to be clinically effective in 72% of Polish pediatric patients with CD and induced a remission in 33% of them. Induction therapy with infliximab helps to increase BMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Immunology, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland. j.kierkus@czd.pl
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kierkus
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dadalski
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szymanska
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oracz
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorczewska
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szymanska
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woynarowski
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryzko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab