Maarten Cozijnsen

85 Chapter 4 Infliximab impacts leukocyte RNA expression and serum inflammatory proteins ◀ Figure 4. Infliximab treatment reduced transcription and concentration of proteins involved in tissue remodeling in the blood of CD patients In a randomized open-label trial, 11 newly diagnosed pediatric CD patients were treated with either infliximab (plus AZA) or prednisolone (plus AZA). Blood samples were taken for measurement of leukocytes RNA expression and serum protein concentrations at baseline and again at week 10 (RNA) or week 14 (protein). RNA expression analysis revealed downregulation of the expression of TGFA, OSM, TNFSF14 and MMP9 in blood of infliximab treated patients (A). All these proteins, except for MMP9 – which was not part of the PEA kit – were also found reduced in serum, as well as LAP TGF-beta-1, VEGF-A, IL-6, LIF-R, TWEAK (TNFSF12), OPG and MMP-1 (B). None of these treatment effects were detected in patients treated with prednisolone.