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Steroid-refractory Crohn’s disease responds to therapy with the chimeric anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibody infliximab. Etanercept, a recombinant TNF receptor/immunoglobulin G fusion protein, is highly effective in rheumatoid arthritis but not in Crohn’s disease. Because both infliximab and etanercept are TNF-α-neutralizing drugs, we investigated the differences in TNF-α-neutralizing capacity and human lymphocyte binding and apoptosis-inducing capacity of both molecules.

We used a nuclear factor κB reporter assay and a cytotoxicity bioassay to study TNF-α neutralization by infliximab and etanercept. Lymphocyte binding and apoptosis-inducing capacity was investigated using fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, annexin V staining, and cleaved caspase-3 immunoblotting using mixed lymphocyte reaction-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from …