Publication at First Faculty of Medicine |
2016
Abstract
Biological treatments employing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against TNF-alpha are very eff ective and safe, and the side effects of such treatments are usually mild and well-tolerated. However, such treatments are sometimes associated with severe acute and chronic side effects, which have been attributed to secondary immunopathologies induced by TNF-alpha blockage.
Early and delayed hypersensitivity reactions to therapeutic immunoglobulins are most frequent, as well as reactions associated with induced imbalances of the immune system. Cytokine imbalance or antigen cross-reactivity is significantly rarer.
This paper reviews the classifi cation and immunopathological complications of anti-TNF-alpha blockers.