For example, the incidence of immunogenicity with adalimumab (a fully human IgG) can be as high as 87% (Bender et al

For example, the incidence of immunogenicity with adalimumab (a fully human IgG) can be as high as 87% (Bender et al., 2007). of anti-TNF agents during pregnancy. Further improvement in pregnancy outcomes may be achieved in women with IBD by better understanding of pregnancy-mediated changes in the pharmacokinetics of anti-TNF agents. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition of chronic immune response and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. IBD is composed of Crohns disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Crohns disease affects all layers of the intestinal wall, whereas UC affects only the intestinal mucosa. Inflammatory bowel disease can be painful and debilitating, and is estimated to affect approximately 1.4 million persons in the United States, with about 30,000 new cases reported each year (Hanauer, 2006). The peak age of onset is 15 to 30 years old, therefore the majority of women MDL 29951 with IBD will be affected during their childbearing years (Hanauer, 2006). Use of Monoclonal Antibodies for IBD during pregnancy Pregnancies in women with IBD are typically uncomplicated if the patient is in remission or has only minor disease activity at the time of conception (Morales et al., 2000). However, 20 C 30 %30 % of the women with quiescent disease at the time of conception will still suffer from relapse during their gestational period (Heetun et al., 2007). Furthermore, if the conception occurs during an active disease, the prognosis of disease and pregnancy outcomes are less favorable (Getahun et al., 2014). IBD flares during pregnancy carry a high risk of adverse birth outcomes, including prematurity, low birth-weight, and congenital abnormalities (Cornish et al., 2007; Huang and Habal, 2014). Since the most important factor in the success of a pregnancy in women with IBD is considered to be the state of disease activity (Gisbert and Chaparro, 2013), stopping effective medications for IBD increases the risk of flares and deleterious neonatal outcomes. Thus, it is recommended that medical treatment for IBD (excluding methotrexate) should generally continue during pregnancy because the benefits outweigh the risk of MDL 29951 medication related adverse effects (Van Assche et al., 2010). The goals of IBD treatment are to reduce the inflammation and maintain disease remission. Drug therapy is the mainstay in IBD treatment. The pharmacologic treatment options for IBDs are similar for both UC and CD (Mahadevan, 2006; Girardin et al., 2012), and include anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., sulfasalazine, 5-aminosalicylic acid, and corticosteroids), immunosuppressants (e.g., azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, and methotrexate), and biologic agents. According to European Crohns and Colitis Organization (ECCO) guidelines, therapy with biologic agents should be considered as an alternative for patients with objective evidence of active disease who have previously been corticosteroid-refractory, -dependent, or Cintolerant (Van Assche et al., 2010). In nonpregnant patients who relapse while on initial therapy, changing their maintenance therapy to methotrexate or a monoclonal antibody (mAb) should be considered. ECCO guidelines currently recommend 5-aminosalicylates, sulfasalazine, corticosteroids, azathioprine and 6-mercaptourine during pregnancy, and place the biologics under the probably safe category for IBD in pregnant women (van der Woude et al., 2010; OConnor et al., 2013). Accordingly, the use of mAb during pregnancy has become more prevalent over the past decade (Kuriya et al., 2011). Moderate to severe IBD in nonpregnant subjects can be effectively managed with mAbs, specifically the anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab, golimumab and the selective adhesion-molecule inhibitor natalizumab (Table 1). TNF is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a Mouse monoclonal to Alkaline Phosphatase key role in MDL 29951 mediating the inflammatory process in IBD. TNF is detected in serum in its soluble form and also on the cell membranes of activated macrophage, monocytes, and T cells. TNF exerts pleiotropic effects on various cell types including enterocytes, and thus anti-TNF agents block the pro-inflammatory cascade, and reestablish the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory signals in IBD (Cohen et al., 2014). Table 1 Biologics commonly used for IBD during pregnancy thead th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Drug Name /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Target MDL 29951 /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Source /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Route of br / administration /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ FDA- br / approved br / indication /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ FDA br / pregnancy br / category /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Bioavailability /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Elimination br / half-life br / (days) /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Volume of br / distribution /th th valign=”top” align=”left” rowspan=”1″ colspan=”1″ Dosage for IBD /th /thead Adalimumab (AbbVie, 2013)TNFHumanaSCIBD, RAd, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitisB64%144.7C6 LDay 1: 4 x 40 mg injections in one MDL 29951 day or 2 x 40 mg injections per day for two consecutive days br / Day 15: 80 mg br / Day 29: a maintenance dose of 40 mg.