Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors are biological agents introduced in the late 1990s for the treatment of different immune-mediated diseases as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. The most commonly used TNF-α antagonists are infliximab, adalimumab, and certolizumab pegol, and though highly effective in lowering inflammation, the efficacy must be weighed against the potential for adverse events. The treatment-induced immunosuppression is suspected to increase the risk of infections, including the risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis, as the TNF-α cytokine plays an important role in the immune function. In this topic highlight a short overview of the infection risk associated with TNF-α inhibiter therapy is outlined with a focus on the overall risk of serious infections, mycobacterial infection and latent viral infections.
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Andersen et al. (2014) studied this question.