Influence of albuminemia on the pharmacokinetics of infliximab in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Czech version

Authors: K. Malíčková ¹; M. Bortlík ^2,3; D. Ďuricová ²; H. Brodská ¹; N. Machková ²; I. Janatková ¹; T. Zima ¹; M. Lukáš ^1,2
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav klinické biochemie a laboratorní diagnostiky 1. LF UK a VFN Praha ¹; Klinické a výzkumné centrum pro střevní záněty, ISCARE Lighthouse a 1. LF UK Praha3Interní klinika 1. LF UK a ÚVN Praha ²
Published in: Gastroent Hepatol 2011; 65(2): 70-74
Category: IDB: Original Article

Overview

Purpose of the study:
To analyse infliximab and albumin serum levels in different stages of the biological treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

Methods:
We examined the serum trough levels of infliximab and albuminemia in 85 patients with IBD in weeks 2 and 14 of biological treatment with infliximab.

Results:
In week 2, infliximab was detected in the sera of 34 patients (40%) and in week 14 in 44 patients (52%). Serum infliximab trough levels were significantly lower in week 2 than in week 14 (p = 0.0138). Likewise, levels of albumin in week 2 were significantly lower than in week 14 (p = 0.0002). In patients with detectable serum infliximab trough levels (concentration ≥ 3 mg/mL), albuminemia was significantly higher than in patients with undetectable serum infliximab levels, regardless of the biological treatment stage. The correlation between serum infliximab levels and albuminemia was significantly positive (r = 0.39, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:
Levels of both infliximab and albumin rise during biological treatment of IBD. We confirmed a significant positive correlation between albumin and infliximab serum levels, suggesting the theoretical possibility of using serum albumin to predict infliximab pharmacokinetics.

Key words:
inflammatory bowel diseases – biological therapy – infliximab – albumin

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