Psoriatic arthritis(PsA) is a rheumatoid factor(RF)-seronegative systemic inflammatory disorder associated with psoriasis.Current treatment for PsA in China is still focused on disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs(DMARDs).In this paper,we report two Chinese patients with active longstanding PsA treated with infliximab,a human-mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α).The results show that infliximab acted quickly and effectively in relieving peripheral and axial symptoms and refractory skin lesions,even in recombinant human TNF-α receptor(rhTNFR)-resistant case.The take-home message from our cases is that infliximab is a useful therapeutic option for refractory PsA,especially when a patient has a combination of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.Further local evidence and experience must be accumulated in order to make anti-TNF-α therapy more accessible to PsA patients in China.
