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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2014; 20(43): 16014-16019
Published online Nov 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i43.16014
Published online Nov 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i43.16014
Risk of infections associated with biological treatment in inflammatory bowel disease
Nynne Nyboe Andersen, Tine Jess, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, DK-2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
Author contributions: Andersen NN collected the material and drafted the manuscript; Jess T discussed the topic and revised the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Nynne Nyboe Andersen, MD, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen, Denmark. nyna@ssi.dk
Telephone: +45-32-683139 Fax: +45-32-683165
Received: June 19, 2014
Revised: July 28, 2014
Accepted: September 5, 2014
Published online: November 21, 2014
Processing time: 153 Days and 23.5 Hours
Revised: July 28, 2014
Accepted: September 5, 2014
Published online: November 21, 2014
Processing time: 153 Days and 23.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The use of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors are increasing worldwide for the treatment of several chronic immune-mediated diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As the drugs are relatively new on the market, their long-term safety profile remains uncertain. In particular, a concern regarding an increased infections risk has been debated. In the current topic highlight, a brief overview of the current literature regarding the risk of infections in patients with IBD exposed to TNF-α inhibitors is outlined.