Focus On Children's Health

Anti-TNFα Treatment After Surgical Resection for Crohn's Disease Is Effective Despite Previous Pharmacodynamic Failure Assa A1, Bronsky J, Kolho KL, Zarubova K, de Meij T, Ledder O, Sladek M, van Biervliet S, Strisciuglio C, Shamir R. BACKGROUND: The outcome of patients with Crohn's disease who failed anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy despite adequate serum drug levels (pharmacodynamic failure) is unclear. We aimed to assess such pediatric patients who underwent intestinal resection and were re-treated with the same anti-TNFα agent postoperatively. METHODS: Pediatric patients with Crohn's disease who underwent intestinal resection and were treated with anti-TNFα agents postoperatively were assessed retrospectively. Patients were stratified to those with preoperative anti-TNFα pharmacodynamic failure and those with no preoperative anti-TNFα treatment. RESULTS: A total of 53 children were included, 18 with pharmacodynamic failure and 35 controls. Median age at intestinal resection was 14.8 ye