Emerging role of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in rheumatic diseases.docVIP

Arthritis Research Vol 4 Suppl 2 Kalden Emerging role of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in rheumatic diseases Joachim R Kalden Department of Internal Medicine III and Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany Correspondence: Professor Dr Joachim R Kalden, MD, Department of Internal Medicine III and Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Krandenhausstrasse 12, Erlangen 91054, Germany. Tel: +49 9131 853 418; fax: +49 9131 8534 770; e-mail: martina.Seidel@med3.imed.uni-erlangen.de Received: 3 December 2001 Revisions requested: 10 December 2001 Revisions received: 24 January 2002 Accepted: 28 March 2002 Arthritis Res 2002, 4 (suppl 2):S34-S40 This article may contain supplementary data which can only be found online at /content/4/S2/S34 ? 2002 BioMed Central Ltd Published: 24 May 2002 (Print ISSN 1465-9905; Online ISSN 1465-9913) Abstract Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is an inflammatory cytokine that has been implicated in a variety of rheumatic and inflammatory diseases. New understanding of the importance of TNF-α in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease led to the development of a new class of targeted anti-TNF therapies. Anti-TNF-α agents including etanercept (a fusion protein of the p75 TNF receptor and IgG1) and infliximab (a chimeric monoclonal antibody specific for TNF-α) have been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, infliximab has been approved in the treatment of patients with active or fistulating Crohn’s disease. A new appreciation of the importance of TNF-α in other rheumatic and inflammatory diseases has led to a broadening of the application of anti-TNF agents. Both etanercept and infliximab have been used in open-label and randomized studies in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Although larger randomized trials are needed to confirm early results, both these anti-TNF-α a