Ustekinumab Serum Trough Levels May Identify Suboptimal Responders to Ustekinumab in Crohn's Disease

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum ustekinumab (UST) trough levels and response to induction and maintenance UST treatment in refractory Crohn's Disease (CD) patients.

Methods: We performed a prospective study including CD patients who received UST from September 2015 to January 2017. Patients received 90 mg of UST subcutaneously at weeks 0, 4, and 12, then every 8 weeks. Two cohorts of patients were analyzed: an induction cohort and a maintenance cohort. We evaluated clinical, biological, and imaging/endoscopic response to UST treatment. UST trough levels and anti-UST antibodies were dosed at weeks 12 and 28 in the induction cohort, and at a single time point in the maintenance cohort.

Results: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the maintenance cohort. Mean concentrations of UST were 1.88 ± 1.40 µg/mL. UST trough levels were not significantly different in patients with or without clinical, biological, or imaging/endoscopic responses to UST treatment (p > 0.11). Twenty-three consecutive patients were included in the induction cohort. At week 12, mean UST concentrations were 1.45 ± 1.15 µg/mL. Patients with a biological response to UST treatment had significant higher serum UST trough concentration (median 1.72 µg/mL) than non-responders (median 0.56 µg/mL, p = 0.02). A UST trough level ≥ 1.10 µg/mL at week 12 was associated with a biological response to UST treatment at 6 months.

Conclusion: UST trough levels were associated with a biological response at the end of the induction phase. In patients with low levels of UST, optimization treatment may be necessary to obtain a sustained response.

Keywords: Antibodies to ustekinumab; Crohn’s disease; Ustekinumab trough level.