Risk of Demyelinating Diseases in the Central Nervous System in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treated With Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors

Abstract

An association between usage of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (anti-TNF) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other immune-mediated diseases and demyelinating diseases in the central nervous system has been suggested by case reports.1,2 However, it remains uncertain whether these cases are directly related to anti-TNF therapy because there is evidence of an underlying association be- tween demyelinating disease and IBD.3 In a nationwide population-based cohort, we compared rates of central demyelinating diseases among patients with IBD exposed and unexposed to anti-TNF.