Biomaterial Database

Tumour necrosis factor alpha and use of infliximab. Safety during pregnancy. 2005

Alan Shrim, and Gideon Koren

Motherisk Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.

OBJECTIVE A 27-year-old patient of mine with rheumatoid arthritis has been treated with infliximab for the last 5 years. She is planning her first pregnancy. How should I advise her regarding use of infliximab during pregnancy, bearing in mind that infliximab substantially improved her medical condition? CONCLUSIONS Infliximab (Remicade) has not been tested in pregnant animals because it does not interact with non-human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha. Several case reports describing women who used infliximab during pregnancy do not suggest a strong association with adverse pregnancy outcomes. More studies are required to determine infliximab's safety during pregnancy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000014	Abnormalities, Drug-Induced	Congenital abnormalities caused by medicinal substances or drugs of abuse given to or taken by the mother, or to which she is inadvertently exposed during the manufacture of such substances. The concept excludes abnormalities resulting from exposure to non-medicinal chemicals in the environment.	Drug-Induced Abnormalities,Abnormalities, Drug Induced,Abnormality, Drug-Induced,Drug Induced Abnormalities,Drug-Induced Abnormality
D000069285	Infliximab	A chimeric monoclonal antibody to TNF-ALPHA that is used in the treatment of RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS; PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS and CROHN'S DISEASE.	Inflectra,Infliximab-abda,Infliximab-dyyb,MAb cA2,Monoclonal Antibody cA2,Remicade,Renflexis,Antibody cA2, Monoclonal,Infliximab abda,Infliximab dyyb,cA2, Monoclonal Antibody
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000911	Antibodies, Monoclonal	Antibodies produced by a single clone of cells.	Monoclonal Antibodies,Monoclonal Antibody,Antibody, Monoclonal
D001172	Arthritis, Rheumatoid	A chronic systemic disease, primarily of the joints, marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, widespread fibrinoid degeneration of the collagen fibers in mesenchymal tissues, and by atrophy and rarefaction of bony structures. Etiology is unknown, but autoimmune mechanisms have been implicated.	Rheumatoid Arthritis
D014409	Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha	Serum glycoprotein produced by activated MACROPHAGES and other mammalian MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES. It has necrotizing activity against tumor cell lines and increases ability to reject tumor transplants. Also known as TNF-alpha, it is only 30% homologous to TNF-beta (LYMPHOTOXIN), but they share TNF RECEPTORS.	Cachectin,TNF-alpha,Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 2,Cachectin-Tumor Necrosis Factor,TNF Superfamily, Member 2,TNFalpha,Tumor Necrosis Factor,Cachectin Tumor Necrosis Factor,Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha
D018501	Antirheumatic Agents	Drugs that are used to treat RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.	Anti-Rheumatic Agent,Anti-Rheumatic Drug,Antirheumatic Agent,Antirheumatic Disease-Modifying Second-Line Drug,Antirheumatic Drug,DMARD,Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug,Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs,Anti-Rheumatic Agents,Anti-Rheumatic Agents, Non-Steroidal,Anti-Rheumatic Drugs,Antirheumatic Disease-Modifying Second-Line Drugs,Antirheumatic Drugs,Antirheumatic Drugs, Disease-Modifying,Disease-Modifying, Antirheumatic Second-Line Drugs,Agent, Anti-Rheumatic,Agent, Antirheumatic,Anti Rheumatic Agent,Anti Rheumatic Agents,Anti Rheumatic Agents, Non Steroidal,Anti Rheumatic Drug,Anti Rheumatic Drugs,Antirheumatic Disease Modifying Second Line Drug,Antirheumatic Disease Modifying Second Line Drugs,Antirheumatic Drug, Disease-Modifying,Antirheumatic Drugs, Disease Modifying,Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drug,Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs,Disease Modifying, Antirheumatic Second Line Drugs,Drug, Anti-Rheumatic,Drug, Antirheumatic,Drug, Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic,Non-Steroidal Anti-Rheumatic Agents