Septicemic listeriosis during adalimumab- and golimumab-based treatment for ulcerative colitis: case presentation and literature review

Listeria monocytogenes is a common bacterium that can trigger an episode of amphixenosis from the consumption of contaminated food. It survives in the host as an intracellular parasite and can get reactivated when the host’s immune system is compromised. The use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) blockers is reported to increase the risk of L. monocytogenes infections. In the field of gastroenterology, the use of TNF-α blockers is on the rise due to remarkable efficacy in select patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease and the rise in the incidence and prevalence of IBDs. There are few case reports on this topic, despite the rapid development of novel TNF-α blockers. Here, we report two cases of septicemic listeriosis encountered during treatment with the more recent TNF-α blockers, namely, adalimumab and golimumab, in ulcerative colitis and review the published literature on the topic.