Infliximab for the treatment of XXXX in Greece: 4 years of clinical experience at a single centre.

@entity1 @entity1569 @entity625 @entity5144 @entity272 @entity1499
BACKGROUND: Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, has been shown to be effective for moderate to severe @entity1569 . Clinical experience with long-term infliximab therapy for @entity1569 is accumulating, and it is therefore important to share our experience with its use in real-life clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To report our experience with infliximab (Remicade; Schering Plough, Kenilworth, NJ, U.S.A.) for the treatment of moderate to severe @entity1569 (and/or @entity625 ) from a single clinic in Greece. @entity1 AND METHODS: Between August 2004 and March 2008, 62 @entity1 presenting to our clinic with moderate to severe @entity1569 were treated with infliximab. Disease phenotype, clinical course, disease severity and adverse events were assessed throughout the treatment period. RESULTS: Infliximab resulted in a reduction of median Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) of 70% at week 6 and 84.4% at week 14. Nineteen @entity1 who have completed 1 year on infliximab treatment experienced sustained efficacy with a median PASI improvement of 92.16% and a Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) of 'clear' or 'almost clear', while nine @entity1 have reached approximately 20 months of continuous therapy. All @entity1 with @entity5144 showed marked improvement in their clinical symptoms following the first infusion. Eight @entity1 (12.9%) experienced adverse events that required discontinuation of treatment. There were no statistically significant differences in PASI and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores between @entity1 with @entity625 and those with only @entity272 , or between those who received @entity1499 , either from the beginning or during infliximab therapy, and those who did not receive @entity1499 at all. Selected @entity1 of interest are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The above data confirm previous reports that treatment with infliximab is an efficacious and safe option for @entity1 with moderate to severe @entity1569 (and/or @entity625 ). Long-term follow-up, continued pharmacovigilance, and controlled comparative studies will be required to fully evaluate its use in the treatment of @entity1569 .
