title: Progress with anti-tumor necrosis factor therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is a valid, effective and increasingly used option in inflammatory bowel disease management. Nevertheless, further knowledge and therapeutic indications regarding these drugs are still evolving. Anti-TNF therapy may be essential to achieve recently proposed end points, namely mucosal healing, prevention of bowel damage and prevention of patient's disability. Anti-TNF drugs are also suggested to be more effective in early disease, particularly in early Crohn's disease. Moreover, its efficacy for prevention of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease is still debated. Costs and adverse effects, the relevance of drug monitoring and the possibility of anti-TNF therapy withdrawal in selected patients are still debated issues. This review aimed to describe and discuss the most relevant data about the progress with anti-TNF therapy for the management of inflammatory bowel disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova Gaia, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allocca
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danese
authors.forename: Gionata
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorino
mesh_terms: D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
keywords: Crohn's disease; anti-TNF therapy; anti-TNF withdrawal; mucosal healing; postoperative recurrence; ulcerative colitis