title: Clinical course of infliximab treatment in korean pediatric ulcerative colitis patients: a single center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infliximab (IFX) is considered safe and effective for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) in both adults and children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term clinical course of IFX in Korean children with UC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric patients with UC who had received IFX infusions between November 2007 and May 2013 at Samsung Medical Center were retrospectively investigated. The clinical efficacy of IFX treatment was evaluated at 8 weeks (short term) and 54 weeks (long term) after the initiation of IFX treatment using the Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI). The degree of response to IFX treatment was defined as complete response (PUCAI score=0), partial response (decrement of PUCAI score≥20 points), and non-response (decrement of PUCAI score <20 points). Adverse events associated with IFX treatment were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven pediatric patients with moderate to severe UC had received IFX. The remission rate after IFX treatment was 46% (5/11) and 82% (9/11) at 8 weeks and 54 weeks after IFX treatment, respectively. All patients who were steroid-dependent before treatment with IFX achieved remission at 54 weeks and were able to stop treatment with corticosteroids, while all steroid-refractory patients failed to achieve remission at 54 weeks after treatment with IFX.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Response to IFX treatment after 8 weeks may predict a favorable long-term response to IFX treatment in Korean pediatric UC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoo Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yon Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choe
keywords: Child; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Infliximab; Korea; Ulcerative colitis
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 2007 Mar;132(3):863-73; quiz 1165-6
references.pmid: 17324398
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1994 Jun 30;330(26):1841-5
references.pmid: 8196726
references.citation: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002 Oct;16(10):1751-9
references.pmid: 12269968
references.citation: Am J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jun;105(6):1430-6
references.pmid: 20104217
references.citation: Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2005 Mar;11(3):213-8
references.pmid: 15735427
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2005 Dec 8;353(23):2462-76
references.pmid: 16339095
references.citation: Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 1999 Jun;28(2):445-58
references.pmid: 10372276
references.citation: Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Apr;10(4):391-9.e1
references.pmid: 22155755
references.citation: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1999 Jan;28(1):54-8
references.pmid: 9890469
references.citation: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Sep;55(3):340-61
references.pmid: 22773060
references.citation: Gut. 2002 Apr;50(4):485-9
references.pmid: 11889067
references.citation: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2001 Nov;15(11):1699-708
references.pmid: 11683683
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 2010 Jun;138(7):2282-91
references.pmid: 20193683
references.citation: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2002 Mar;34(3):307-11
references.pmid: 11964959
references.citation: Dis Colon Rectum. 1995 May;38(5):474-9
references.pmid: 7736877