Infliximab trough levels may predict sustained response to infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease
Abstract
Over 10% of Crohn's disease (CD) patients annually lose response to infliximab. Infliximab trough levels (TL), concomitant immunosuppressants and endoscopic healing were proposed as predictors of favourable infliximab outcome.
We assessed infliximab TL measured after induction therapy as predictors of sustained clinical response. Furthermore, we tried to identify other predictors of long-term benefit of infliximab therapy.
During a median follow up of 2years sustained response to infliximab was observed in slightly more than half of CD patients. Infliximab TL>3microg/ml at the start of maintenance regime were predicative of sustained response to infliximab.