CASE REPORT
Development of interstitial pneumonia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient treated with infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor α-neutralizing antibody
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Shunsuke Mori1, Fumiya Imamura2, Chikage Kiyofuji2 and Mineharu Sugimoto2
| (1) |
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Kumamoto Saishunso National Hospital, 2659 Suya Kohshi, Kumamoto 861-1196, Japan |
| (2) |
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Kumamoto Saishunso National Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan |
Received: 01 February 2006 Accepted: 17 May 2006
Abstract Infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibody, was introduced to a 66-year-old woman with methotrexate (MTX)-resistant rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although the TNF-blocking therapy was successful, she developed noninfectious interstitial pneumonia (IP) after a second infusion of infliximab. In most cases reported previously, infliximab-associated noninfectious IP occurred after a second or third infusion of infliximab, and this type of IP was more fatal in comparison with cases associated with MTX treatment alone. Keeping a sharp lookout on IP development during this period is crucial to the success of infliximab treatment. After MTX discontinuation and steroid pulse therapy, our patient made a dramatic recovery from IP.
Key words Infliximab - Interstitial pneumonia (IP) - Methotrexate (MTX) - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) |
