OBJECTIVE: In @entity1 with postoperative recurrence of @entity30 endoscopic and clinical remission can be maintained for up to 1 year with low infliximab doses (3 mg/Kg). However, in theory low-dose infliximab treated @entity1 could develop subtherapeutic trough levels, infiximab antibodies, and might loose response to therapy. To verify this hypothesis infliximab pharmacokinetics and clinical/endoscopic response were checked in a group of @entity1 treated in the long term with low infliximab doses. DESIGN: Infliximab antibodies, infliximab levels, highly-sensitive CRP and fecal calprotectin were measured during the 8-week interval in 5 consecutive @entity1 in clinical ( @entity30 Activity Index < 150) and endoscopic (Rutgeerts scores 0-1) remission after one year of therapy with infliximab 3 mg/Kg. For comparison with reported standards, infliximab pharmacokinetics and inflammatory parameters were also tested in 6 @entity30 @entity1 who did not undergo surgery and who were in clinical remission while on infliximab 5 mg/Kg. @entity1 on low infliximab dose also underwent colonoscopy after 18 additional months of therapy. RESULTS: Highly sensitive CRP and fecal calprotectin increased in all @entity1 during the 8-week interval. Infliximab trough levels were lower in @entity1 treated with the low dose compared to controls (mean  SE: 2.0  0.3 vs 4.75  0.83  g/mL respectively p<0.05). Infliximab antibodies were present in two of the subjects treated with low infliximab dose and in none of the controls. However, in low dose-treated @entity1 after 18 additional months of therapy endoscopy continued to show mucosal remission and none of them developed clinical recurrence or side effects. CONCLUSIONS: @entity1 treated with low infliximab doses had lower trough levels compared to @entity1 treated with 5 mg/Kg and some developed antibodies to infliximab. However, low infliximab doses sustained clinical and endoscopic remission for a total of 30 months of treatment.

Low Dose Infliximab for Prevention of Postoperative Recurrence of XXXX : Long Term Follow-Up and Impact of Infliximab Trough Levels and Antibodies to Infliximab.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'Patients'] @entity30 :: ('MESH:D003424', 'Disease') :: ["Crohn's Disease", "Crohn's disease"]
@entity30 :: (MESH:D003424,Disease) :: ['Crohn's Disease']
