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Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a central role in the immunopathogenesis of a wide variety of inflammatory conditions from diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis to inflammatory bowel diseases. Development of TNF-α inhibitors (TNFI) has revolutionized the ability to treat these conditions, resulting in substantial improvement in clinical outcomes. Since the introduction of infliximab and etanercept in 1998, indications for the use of TNFI have expanded, and these medications are predominately prescribed by rheumatologists, dermatologists, and gastroenterologists for moderate to severe inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. As a result of widespread use of these effective therapies, there have been safety concerns related to immunosuppression, the foremost of which is the increased incidence of infections caused by a broad range of pathogens. In this chapter, we review available data on the epidemiology of infectious complications in patients receiving TNFI for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11363-5_5