Glucocorticoids are the mainstay of treatment of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF). However, relapses are frequent upon tapering of the glucocorticoid dose. A variety of traditional immunosuppressants have been proposed as steroid-sparing agents, but some patients fail to adequately respond to combined glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive therapy. We report a patient with IRF refractory to combined glucocorticoid and methotrexate therapy treated with the anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody infliximab. Infliximab was administered at 5 mg/kg/bodyweight at week 0, 2, 6 and 8-weekly thereafter for 3 consecutive years. Drug efficacy and safety were assessed clinically and by laboratory tests at treatment onset and subsequently before each infusion. In addition, 18FFluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission computerised tomography (PET/CT) and abdominal CT scans were used to monitor disease activity and response to treatment. Infliximab therapy resulted in a satisfactory clinical and laboratory response paralleled by an improvement in imaging findings. No serious adverse events were noted. Infliximab may be an effective and safe treatment for refractory IRF. A controlled study is required to confirm our findings.

Efficacy of infliximab in a patient with refractory idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis / Catanoso, Maria Grazia; Spaggiari, Lucia; Magnani, Luca; Pipitone, Nicolò; Versari, Annibale; Boiardi, Luigi; Pazzola, Giulia; Pattacini, Pierpaolo; Salvarani, Carlo. - In: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0392-856X. - 30:(2012), pp. 776-778.

Efficacy of infliximab in a patient with refractory idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis

SALVARANI, CARLO
2012

Abstract

Glucocorticoids are the mainstay of treatment of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF). However, relapses are frequent upon tapering of the glucocorticoid dose. A variety of traditional immunosuppressants have been proposed as steroid-sparing agents, but some patients fail to adequately respond to combined glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive therapy. We report a patient with IRF refractory to combined glucocorticoid and methotrexate therapy treated with the anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody infliximab. Infliximab was administered at 5 mg/kg/bodyweight at week 0, 2, 6 and 8-weekly thereafter for 3 consecutive years. Drug efficacy and safety were assessed clinically and by laboratory tests at treatment onset and subsequently before each infusion. In addition, 18FFluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission computerised tomography (PET/CT) and abdominal CT scans were used to monitor disease activity and response to treatment. Infliximab therapy resulted in a satisfactory clinical and laboratory response paralleled by an improvement in imaging findings. No serious adverse events were noted. Infliximab may be an effective and safe treatment for refractory IRF. A controlled study is required to confirm our findings.
2012
30
776
778
Efficacy of infliximab in a patient with refractory idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis / Catanoso, Maria Grazia; Spaggiari, Lucia; Magnani, Luca; Pipitone, Nicolò; Versari, Annibale; Boiardi, Luigi; Pazzola, Giulia; Pattacini, Pierpaolo; Salvarani, Carlo. - In: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0392-856X. - 30:(2012), pp. 776-778.
Catanoso, Maria Grazia; Spaggiari, Lucia; Magnani, Luca; Pipitone, Nicolò; Versari, Annibale; Boiardi, Luigi; Pazzola, Giulia; Pattacini, Pierpaolo; Salvarani, Carlo
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/1078906
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