A case of intestinal Behçet's disease treated with infliximab monotherapy who successfully maintained clinical remission and complete mucosal healing for six years.
Behçet's disease is a chronic relapsing disease with multiple organ system involvement, including the gastrointestinal tract, which is known as intestinal Behçet's disease. Intestinal Behçet's disease is often resistant to empirical treatments such as 5-aminosalicylic acid, immunomodulators and steroids and often causes a perforation, requiring surgical resection. Therefore, intestinal lesions are considered to be a poor prognostic factor in Behçet's disease. Recently, several reports have demonstrated the efficacy of anti-TNFα monoclonal antibodies, such as infliximab, against intestinal Behçet's disease, however, it remains unknown whether anti-TNFα therapy can improve the prognosis of patients with intestinal Behçet's disease. We herein report the case of an adult female patient with intestinal Behçet's disease who responded well to the induction therapy with infliximab, and has been maintained in remission by scheduled administration of infliximab. Her C-reactive protein level has been sustained at a negative level, and endoscopic findings revealed complete mucosal healing. Therefore, infliximab may have the potential to induce "sustained deep remission" in patients with intestinal Behçet's disease.
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Japan.
Yuriko
Y
Maruyama
Tadakazu
T
Hisamatsu
Katsuyoshi
K
Matsuoka
Makoto
M
Naganuma
Nagamu
N
Inoue
Haruhiko
H
Ogata
Yasushi
Y
Iwao
Takanori
T
Kanai
Toshifumi
T
Hibi
D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003113:Colonoscopy; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014456:Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D011239:Prednisolone; D000069285:Infliximab