title: Safety of resuming tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in patients who developed tuberculosis as a complication of previous TNF inhibitors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is no consensus on whether restarting TNF inhibitors (TNFis) after treatment of an active tuberculosis (TB) infection caused by previous TNFi exposure is safe. In this study we sought to determine the safety of resuming TNFis in patients following TB treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of all patients (n = 683) that received TNFi treatment at a single rheumatology clinic between June 2003 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, data from patients who developed active TB infection were collected and patient outcomes were evaluated for those who resumed TNFis after TB treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 683 patients, 13 patients developed an active TB infection during TNFi treatment (4 on etanercept, 4 on adalimumab and 5 on infliximab). The median duration of TNFi treatment before TB infection was 20 months. TNFi treatment was reinitiated in six patients: four within 2 months after TB treatment and two after completion of TB treatment. Four patients reinitiated with the same TNFi, whereas two patients started with another TNFi. During a mean follow-up of 30.6 months, all six patients successfully completed TB treatment with no TB infection relapses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that resuming TNFi therapy in patients following adequate TB treatment is safe, even before completion of TB treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: You Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. bestmd2000@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Yong-Gil
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Sun
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bon San
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seokchan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Keun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000188:drug therapy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019233:Retreatment / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab; D000068800:Etanercept
keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; inhibitor; rheumatic disease; safety; tuberculosis; tumour necrosis factor