title: Effectiveness and safety of infliximab in two cases of severe chondrocalcinosis: nine years of follow-up.
abstract: Objectives. To investigate the efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of severe calcium pyrophosphate deposition diseases (CPPD). Methods. Two patients with severe CPPD and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis- (DISH-) like phenotype are described. Both patients were resistant to therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Both patients were treated with infliximab, a TNF-α receptor antagonist, for nine years. Results. Treatment with infliximab resulted in major clinical and laboratory improvements without relevant side effects. Conclusions. These results suggest that infliximab may be an effective treatment of severe CPDD.
authors.affiliation: SEEBMO, Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, 9700 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal ; Genetics & Arthritis Research Group (GARG), Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), 4150 Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jácome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruges-Armas
authors.affiliation: SEEBMO, Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, 9700 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal ; Genetics & Arthritis Research Group (GARG), Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), 4150 Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Bruno F
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0027-5613
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Bettencourt
authors.affiliation: SEEBMO, Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, 9700 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal ; Genetics & Arthritis Research Group (GARG), Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), 4150 Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Couto
authors.affiliation: Genetics & Arthritis Research Group (GARG), Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), 4150 Oporto, Portugal ; Grupo de Epidemiologia e Genética Humana do Departamento de Biologia da Universidade dos Açores, 9500 Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Research Unit, Molecular Medicine Institute, Lisbon, Portugal ; Serviço de Medicina Interna, Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, 9700 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Merck Sharp & Dohme, 1135 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vastesaeger
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4192, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown