Background: It is crucial to determine whether infliximab (IFX) therapy could be safely interrupted in Crohn's disease (CD) patients with clinical remission. The outcome and risk predictors of relapse after IFX therapy stopped are controversial. The aim was to assess the relapse and predictive factors after IFX discontinuation in CD patients with clinical remission.
Methods: A retrospective cohort of CD patients with clinical remission who discontinued scheduled IFX therapy at Nanfang Hospital were included. The primary outcome was relapse. All patients were followed up for more than 3 months. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were evaluated for their predictive value of relapse.
Results: After a median follow-up period of 12.2(4.8 - 21.2) months, 55.7% (59/106) patients experienced a relapse. The cumulative relapse rate was 39%, 48% and 61% at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years, respectively. Based on multivariable analysis, CD-related surgery before infusion (P = 0.013, hazard ratio (HR): 2.671, 95% confidential interval (CI): 1.230 - 5.798), step-up therapeutic regimen (P = 0.035, HR: 2.073, 95%CI: 1.054 - 4.080), low albumin (Alb) level at week 0 (P = 0.022, HR: 3.431, 95%CI: 1.196 - 9.846) and high C-reactive protein (CRP) level at week 30 (P = 0.007, HR: 2.643, 95%CI: 1.310 - 5.332) were associated with clinical relapse.
Conclusions: After cessation of scheduled IFX therapy in CD patients with clinical remission, nearly half of the patients experienced a relapse within 1 year. In the event of the presence of certain predictive factors, IFX scheduled therapy should probably be continued.
Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Discontinuation of infliximab; Relapse; Risk factors.