Korean J Med.  2010 Aug;79(2):215-218.

Interstitial pneumonitis associated with infliximab therapy in a rheumatoid arthritis patient

• Yoo IS
• Song JK

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors are well-established biological agents for the treatment of a wide variety of chronic autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. Although these drugs have been noted to have good safety profiles, some important side effects, including infection, injection site reactions, lupus-like syndrome, congestive heart failure, and malignancies have been reported. Therefore, utilization of TNF-alpha inhibitors demands caution. Interstitial pneumonitis is a very rare complication of TNF-alpha inhibitors. We report here a 71-year-old man with RA who developed interstitial pneumonitis after the third infusion of infliximab.

Keyword

Rheumatoid arthritis; Interstitial pneumonitis; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor; Infliximab

MeSH Terms

Aged
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Arthritis, Psoriatic
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Autoimmune Diseases
Biological Agents
Heart Failure
Humans
Lung Diseases, Interstitial
Spondylitis, Ankylosing
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Infliximab
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Biological Agents
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha