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Letter
Experience with infliximab (anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody) as monotherapy for giant cell arteritis
  1. A P Andonopoulos,
  2. N Meimaris,
  3. D Daoussis,
  4. A Bounas,
  5. G Giannopoulos
  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Patras School of Medicine, Patras, Greece
  1. Correspondence to:
    A P Andonopoulos, Division of Rheumatology, University of Patras School of Medicine, 265 00 Rio, Patras, Greece;
    andandonmed.upatras.gr

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.62.11.1116

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    Corticosteroids have been the mainstay of treatment for giant cell arteritis (GCA), usually given for at least two years, with the potential for unpleasant consequences.1,2 Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), used successfully in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other conditions,3–5 was considered by us, on the basis of pathogenic and pathologic data of GCA, as a potentially effective treatment for this disease. Consequently, we decided to try it in two of our patients with GCA, without concomitant administration of corticosteroids, hoping that if only a few infusions of anti-TNFα cured the disease then the side effects of chronic steroid treatment might be avoided.

    Our patients were both male, 85 and 80 years old, respectively, seen …

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