Infliximab therapy for moderately severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis: a retrospective comparison over 6 years

BACKGROUND: Infliximab has shown benefit in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of long-term outcome of therapy for both diseases. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively patients treated at infusion centers from one institution. Demographic, laboratory parameters leading up to biologic therapy and the subsequent pattern of outcomes in either disease were established as a database. Initial failure, subsequent need to change therapy, or need to adjust therapy were evaluated. Kruskal–Wallis (nonparametric) tests to compare two groups and Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis were used to compare outcomes. RESULTS: Over approximately 6 years, 71 CD and 26 UC patients received 999 and 215 infusions, respectively, for a median of 62 months. Of these, 17% for CD and 19% for UC patients were primary failures. Following the start of infliximab, 18% of CD and 11% of UC patients required stoppage and switching to another type of therapy. In either CD or UC patients, 54% or 62%, respectively, continued therapy without the need to change to other treatments. Few serious side effects were noted. No important statistically significant differences in treatment patterns or outcome were observed between the groups. DISCUSSION: Long-term treatment of both inflammatory bowel diseases reflects outcomes of clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes similarities between CD and UC and reports therapeutic success for an extended time.