Tumor necrosis factor blockade in the management of children with orphan diseases

Clin Rheumatol. 2007 Oct;26(10):1783-5. doi: 10.1007/s10067-006-0521-x. Epub 2007 Jan 12.

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockade has been used successfully to treat a number of rheumatic disorders that have a substantial burden of illness. In children, the TNF antagonists are used mainly for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). There are, however, a variety of rare systemic inflammatory diseases, in which TNF blockade appears promising. Preliminary data in adults suggest that several forms of vasculitis appear to be responsive to TNF antagonists-Behcet's disease, polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener granulomatosis, among others. Some of them respond better to infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal anti-TNF antibody, than to etanercept, a recombinant p75 TNF receptor. We describe our limited experience with infliximab in the treatment of three children with rare vasculitic conditions.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Arthritis, Juvenile / therapy
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Familial Mediterranean Fever / metabolism
  • Familial Mediterranean Fever / therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa / metabolism
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa / therapy*
  • Sarcoidosis / metabolism
  • Sarcoidosis / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Vasculitis / therapy

Substances

  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha