Infliximab for refractory ulcerative colitis

Eight patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC). refractory to usual com bination medical therapy, were treated with a single i.v. dose of chimeric monoclonal antibody to recombinant human tumor necrosis factor a; many of t hese patients were scheduled for surgical colectomy because of their active disease. All patients responded extremely well to a single 5 mg/kg infusio n of infliximab, with marked improvement after the infusion clinically, col onoscopically, and histologically on colonic biopsy. There were no signific ant complications or side effects; mean duration of remission has not been determined because none of the patients have relapsed. Infliximab appears t o be a potent agent for inducing remission in refractory patients with ulce rative colitis. (C) 2001 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology.