Background and aims: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) may need anti-inflammatory drugs for decades. Anti-TNF-α agents have good efficacy and adverse events similar to placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but there are still questions about long-term safety and efficacy. In this respect, reports from clinical practice may be useful. We currently report on the clinical experience with infliximab and adalimumab in a single-center cohort of patients with CD.
Material and methods: Patients with CD treated with infliximab or adalimumab from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed. Patient and disease characteristics at start, reason for discontinuation, and adverse events were recorded retrospectively. Corticosteroid use, the need for hospitalization, and surgeries before and during anti-TNF-α therapy were recorded.
Results: Eighty-three patients had received anti-TNF-α treatment against CD, median treatment duration was 11.4 months (0.2-99.5), and follow-up time 59 months (8-135). Eighteen of 43 patients using corticosteroids at treatment start discontinued corticosteroids during TNF-α therapy. Need for hospitalizations (6.13 vs. 3.28 days/year, p < 0.001) and surgeries (0.56 vs. 0.16 operations/year, p < 0.001) were lower during anti-TNF-α therapy than before treatment. Twenty-six percent discontinued therapy due to adverse events and 26% due to lack or loss of response. Two of four deaths observed during follow-up were believed to be related to anti-TNF-α treatment.
Conclusions: Anti-TNF-α therapy was beneficial in many patients with CD, but the majority of patients discontinued treatment during follow-up. Reports from clinical experience with anti-TNF-α treatment may be valuable for clinicians treating patients with CD.