Customized Use of Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Therapy During Pregnancy

Mycobacterial diseases developed during anti-tumour necrosis factor-α therapy.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease and tuberculosis (TB) develop during anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy. We compared clinical characteristics and outcomes between the two diseases. A total of 1165 patients were screened for TB and treated with TNF-α antagonists from July 2004 to July 2013 for the following conditions: inflammatory bowel disease (n = 422), rheumatoid arthriti...

Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Therapy in Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disease of the gastro-intestinal tract. Manifestations of the disease may be severe, and lead to long-term therapy with a variety of medications and/or surgery. There are two main classifications of the disease, including the relapsing-remitting chronic active variety, and the penetrating or fistulising variety. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha ...

Anti-Cytokine Strategies beyond Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Therapy: Pathophysiology and Clinical Implications.

Cytokines are small proteins produced by a broad range of cells important in cell signaling. They include interleukins, but also chemokines, interferons, and tumor necrosis factors (TNF). They play an important role for communication between cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. The cytokine network is complex and, therefore, therapeutic interventions are difficult. The first anti-cyt...

Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Induced Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Infectious Complications of Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-α Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis

In the last decade the use of Tumor Necrosis Factorα inhibitors including infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab; and lately certolizumab and golimumab, has revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These agents have been effective in reducing inflammatory activity and limiting joint destruction in patients with RA however their application has raised a number a safety concerns. In...