Intest Res.  2011 Dec;9(3):189-195. 10.5217/ir.2011.9.3.189.

Comparison of Infliximab and Infliximab/Azathioprine for Maintenance Therapy in Korean Patients with Luminal Crohn's Disease

• Won HS
• Park DI
• Chon CU
• Seok HS
• Kim TW
• Heo WJ
• Lee CK
• Eun CS
• Han DS
• Lee SH

• KMID: 2284946
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5217/ir.2011.9.3.189

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The benefits and risks of concomitant immunomodulators with infliximab maintenance therapy in patients with luminal Crohn's disease (CD) have not been adequately evaluated. We studied the influence of immunomodulator discontinuation in patients in remission with infliximab therapy through a restrospective case-control study.
METHODS
Medical records of 37 patients with luminal CD who received infliximab at four medical centers were retrospectively analyzed. We compared clinical and follow-up data of patients who were treated with infliximab alone with that of patients with combination therapy.
RESULTS
Among 37 patients, 31 (83.7%) were treated with infliximab plus azathioprine and six (16.2%) were treated with infliximab alone. Of the 31 patients receiving combination maintenance therapy, 26 (83.9%) were in complete remission after 12 months, as compared with five of six patients (83.3%) receiving infliximab alone. No significant difference was observed in remission rate between two groups (P=0.735). In total, 16.1% of patients in combination therapy and 16.7% in infliximab alone group reported side effects (P=1.000), but serious adverse events such as reactivation of tuberculosis were noted in only one patient in combination therapy group.
CONCLUSIONS
Concomitant immunomodulators did not improve efficacy in patients with luminal CD who received scheduled infliximab maintenance.

Keyword

Crohn's Disease; Infliximab; Azathioprine

MeSH Terms

Antibodies, Monoclonal
Azathioprine
Case-Control Studies
Crohn Disease
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infliximab
Immunologic Factors
Medical Records
Phenobarbital
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Tuberculosis
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Azathioprine
Immunologic Factors
Phenobarbital