Article

Post-operative Crohn’s Disease Recurrence May be Prevented by Infliximab

Author(s):

A new study has found that giving infliximab to patients after intestinal resective surgery is an effective way to prevent endoscopic and histological recurrence of Crohn’s disease.

A new study has found that giving infliximab to patients after intestinal resective surgery is an effective way to prevent endoscopic and histological recurrence of Crohn’s disease.

The patients who underwent ileocolonic resection were given intravenous infliximab (5mg/kg), beginning within four weeks of surgery, for one year, or a placebo. The primary endpoint for the study was endoscopic recurrence at the one-year point. Secondary endpoints included clinical recurrence, remission, and histological recurrence.

By the one-year point, patients receiving infliximab had a significantly lower rate of endoscopic recurrence—about 9%—compared to the placebo group, which had reached a rate of almost 85% in regard to endoscopic recurrence.

In terms of clinical remission, patients receiving infliximab reached a remission rate of 80%, while those on the placebo had a rate of about 54%. Histological recurrence at one year was significantly lower among the patients on infliximab, at about 27%, while the other group saw a histological recurrence rate of almost 85%.

This study was the first to evaluate infliximab for the prevention of postoperative Crohn’s disease. Though immunomodulator therapy has been developed, nearly three quarters of Crohn’s disease patients require an intestinal resection due to complications.

“Our study provides strong evidence that infliximab is effective at preventing endoscopic, clinical, and histological postoperative recurrence of Crohn’s disease, and provides a rationale for aggressive postoperative chemoprevention with biological therapy,” said Miguel Regueiro, MD, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “We are encouraged by our findings, which warrant future study of the duration of post-operative infliximab maintenance and appropriate endoscopic follow-up.”

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

specialty: primary care

Related Videos
Parent Stress Reduces Over Time When Weaning Child Off Tube Feeding with Hide Okuno, MS
Age, Race, Ethnicity Disparities Hinder Celiac Disease Screening, with Debra Silberg, MD, PhD
Lauren Collen, MD: Advanced Combination Therapy May Be Effective Option for Pediatric Refractory IBD
Lauren Collen, MD: Some Fragrances May be More Prevalent in Exposomes of Children with Crohn’s Disease
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.