Severe adenovirus pneumonia (AVP) following infliximab infusion for the treatment of Crohn's disease

Abstract

We report a case of severe AVP three weeks following the administration of infliximab for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD). Since the introduction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) antagonists, various microbiologic agents have been reported to cause pneumonia following their administration. To our knowledge, AVP following therapy with TNF-alpha antagonists has not been reported in English literature. We present a brief review of the mechanism of action of TNF-alpha antagonists and their ability to predispose to various infections including viral pneumonia by interfering with the immune response.