Successful tocilizumab and tacrolimus treatment in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus
Lupus,
Maeshima K et al. – The report suggests the possibility that this combination therapy is effective in treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
- The authors report a 37–year–old female of intractable rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who was successfully treated with a combination of tocilizumab (TCZ) and tacrolimus.
- She was diagnosed with RA when she was 21 years old, and was administered oral prednisolone, injectable gold and salazosulfapyridine, but deformity of her hands gradually developed.
- She developed high fever and thrombocytopenia when she was 35 years old.
- Renal involvement, pericarditis, positive antinuclear antibody and high level of anti–double–stranded DNA antibody were found and the patient was diagnosed with SLE.
- Polyarthritis and immunological abnormalities developed despite aggressive immunosuppressive therapy including high–dose corticosteroids and intravenously administered cyclophosphamide.
- Tacrolimus (TAC) therapy gave only partial improvement of joint symptoms.
- After the initiation of combination therapy with TCZ, not only was a complete remission of RA obtained, but also the serum levels of SLE markers dramatically decreased.
