Vol.22 No.2

Case Report

Recurrent infections in a rheumatoid arthritis patient with a primary immunodeficiency, treated with conventional and biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

Authors

Andreas P. Diamantopoulos1 , Glenn Haugeberg1,2

  • Department of Rheumatology, Sørlandet Hospital, Service box 416, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway
  • INM Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Received:

4 January 2011

Accepted:

9 June 2011

Published online:

26 June 2011

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Abstract

A 64-year-old woman with longstanding rheumatoid arthritis suffered from recurrent severe infections after treatment with both synthetic and biologic diseasemodifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). She was found to have mannose-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency. MBL deficiency is associated with increased risk of infections, in particular in individuals treated with immunomodulating drugs. Patients with a history of recurrent infections in childhood, and severe infections after treatment with synthetic or biologic DMARDs, should be tested for MBL deficiency.

Key words

Biologics - DMARDs - Infection - MBL - RA