Abstract

Background: Biological therapy has an important role in the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, the use of these drugs is resisted due to fears about their side effects. Aim: To report the experience with the use of Infliximab in patients with IBD. Material and Methods: Descriptive study of a historical cohort of patients with IBD treated between 2007 and 2012 with Infliximab. A favorable clinical response was considered when general, intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms subsided after the second or third dose of the drug. Endoscopic or imaging response was evaluated between three and six months of treatment. Results: Twenty five patients aged 18 to 61 years (12 women) were included. Sixteen had Cohn's Disease and 9 had Ulcerative Colitis. Treatment was indicated due to refractory disease in 13 patients, perianal involvement in nine, stenosis in two and pyoderma gangrenosum in one. Ten patients initiated Infliximab within less than two years of diagnosis. Twenty-two patients received combined treatment with immunosuppressive medications and the other three patients were treated exclusively with Infliximab. A favorable clinical response was observed in 88% after the second dose and 64% had endoscopic or imaging remission after 3-6 months. Twelve patients discontinued Infliximab, due to bad response to treatment in three patients, economic cost in three patients, and patient/doctor decision in six. Only three patients had side effects (herpes zoster and sinusitis). None of these motivated the discontinuation of treatment. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with IBD, the use of Infliximab was associated with endoscopic or imaging remission in 64% of cases after 3-6 months of treatment with no major side effects.