Anti-TNF therapy for other inflammatory conditions

Z. Tutuncu¹, G.J. Morgan, Jr.², A. Kavanaugh¹

¹The Center for Innovative Therapy, Division of Rheumatology Allergy and Immunology, UCSD, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California; ²Division of Rheumatology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

ABSTRACT
The use of biological agents in inflammatory conditions is rapidly increasing. TNFa blocking treatments have changed the course of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Open label studies with TNFa inhibitors in other inflammatory conditions such as adult Still's disease, uveitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, Behçet's disease, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, sarcoidosis, pyoderma gangrenosum, polymyositis/dermatomyositis have shown promising results. However, whether anti-TNFa therapy can be safely and efficaciously applied to these other inflammatory disorders requires further controlled studies. 

Key words
Anti-TNF therapy, inflammatory diseases

Please address correspondence to: Authur Kavanaugh, MD, 9310 Campus Point Drive, Suite A-111, La Jolla, CA 92037-0943, USA.

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2002; 20: (Suppl. 28): S146-S151.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2002.