Infliximab Induced T Lymphocyte Apoptosis in Crohn's Disease

JAN M.H. Van den BRANDE, DAAN W. HOMMES, and MAIKEL P. PEPPELENBOSCH

ABSTRACT.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract of unknown origin. Therapies include immune modulating agents, biological therapies, and surgery. The activity and efficacy of the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapies infliximab and etanercept have proved to be different: infliximab is effective to induce and maintain remission in refractory CD, while etanercept is not. This brief review considers the question of whether this disparity can be explained by the different structure of the proteins, their different binding affinities, or the subsequent effects on T lymphocytes. (J Rheumatol 2005;32 Suppl 74:26-30)

Key Indexing Terms:

TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR
APOPTOSIS
CROHN'S DISEASE
ETANERCEPT
INFLIXIMAB

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From the Department of Gastroenterology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam; and Department of Cell Biology, Academic Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

J.M.H. Van den Brande, MD; D.W. Hommes, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam; M.P. Peppelenbosch, Department of Cell Biology, Academic Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Address reprint requests to Dr. J.M.H. Van den Brande, Department of Gastroenterology, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: J.vandenbrande@amc.uva.nl

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