Infliximab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis

Background: Chronic use of standard therapies for atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with variable efficacy and potential side effects. Targeted therapeutic approaches, such as the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, may be a novel option. Objective: This investigator-initiated, open, prospective, single-center, pilot study was conducted to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab in patients with AD. Methods: Nine patients with moderate or severe AD were enrolled. AD in these patients was resistant to conventional therapy. Infliximab 5 mg/kg was administered by intravenous infusion at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, 22, 30, and 38, and patients were followed for 46 weeks. Results: Induction therapy with infliximab significantly improved all clinical parameters, but this improvement was not sustained through maintenance therapy. Only two patients with severe AD achieved an excellent clinical response by 46 weeks. Conclusions: Infliximab monotherapy may be an additional therapeutic option for the management of refractory severe AD.