Tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α is a proinflammatory proatherogenic cytokine. Infliximab, an anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody, is effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. However, its impact on cardiovascular burden and lipid transport is unclear. The present study investigates the effect of TNF-α and infliximab on reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) proteins. Uptake of modified lipoproteins b...

BACKGROUND Infliximab is licenced for use in Crohn's disease (CD). Trial data demonstrate that infliximab is effective for inducing remission of active CD, healing fistulising CD, and preventing relapse once in remission. However, long-term data regarding efficacy, safety, and predictors of response are still emerging. AIM To examine these issues in a large cohort of patients who received inf...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether increased infliximab doses result in better clinical outcome in rheumatic diseases. METHODS Subjects were 124 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biological agents at a single institute. Index cases were 44 patients whose infliximab doses had been increased. Controls were patients treated with infliximab without dose increase (n = 44), and patients t...

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of the combination of infliximab plus methotrexate (MTX) on the progression of structural damage in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Subanalyses were carried out on data for patients with early RA in the Anti-TNF Therapy in RA with Concomitant Therapy (ATTRACT) study, in which 428 patients with active RA despite MTX therapy received placeb...

We present a patient who had rheumatoid meningitis while on infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor, which initially presented as transient ischemic attacks. Although our patient had been stable on infliximab for several years, her neurologic symptoms improved when her infliximab was held due to active infection and then recurred after reinitiation of therapy. Rheumatoid men...

AIM The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible relation between anorectal carcinoma and infliximab therapy for Crohn's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study reviewed the medical records of patients with perianal Crohn's disease, who have required surgical intervention at the Tohoku University Hospital since May 2002, when infliximab was approved as a remedy for Crohn's di...

BACKGROUND Enterocutaneous fistulas are a serious complication of Crohn's disease and are difficult to treat. Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor alpha, has recently been developed as a treatment for Crohn's disease. We conducted a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of infliximab for the treatment of fistulas in patients with Crohn's ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this investigation was to elucidate retrospectively the therapeutic effect of infliximab in patients with active Crohn's disease (CD) under nutritional therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Using a review of the clinical records in 24 nationwide institutions specializing in inflammatory bowel disease, the short-term effect of infliximab in 97 patients with active CD was retrospec...

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF ), in patients with acute/subacute sciatica secondary to herniated disc at L3/4 or L4/5. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Background: The results from our randomized trial demonstrated no efficacy for Infliximab but the subgroup results suggested that Infliximab may be effecti...

BACKGROUND There is little information about the effect of infliximab on the clinical course of liver disease in Crohn's disease patients with concomitant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Theoretically, immunosuppression induced by infliximab will facilitate viral replication which could be followed by a flare or exacerbation of disease when therapy is discontinued. There are no specific reco...