Anti-TNF Withdrawal in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The introduction of the anti-tumor necrosis factorα agents (anti-TNFα) in clinical practice has greatly advanced the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The use of these medications results in durable remission in a subset of patients, preventing surgery and hospitalizations. However, there are...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joana Torres, Marília Cravo, Jean-Frédéric Colombel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2016-05-01
Series:GE: Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2341454515001453
Description
Summary:The introduction of the anti-tumor necrosis factorα agents (anti-TNFα) in clinical practice has greatly advanced the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The use of these medications results in durable remission in a subset of patients, preventing surgery and hospitalizations. However, there are some concerns about safety and costs associated with their long-term use. Therefore, anti-TNF withdrawal has emerged as an important consideration in clinical practice. Herein our goal was to discuss the available evidence about anti-TNFα discontinuation in IBD that could inform the clinician on the expected rates of relapse, the potential predictors of relapse, as well the response to re-treatment.
ISSN:2341-4545