RESEARCH - Pulmonary infectious complications associated with anti-TNFalpha therapy (Remicade) for RA

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Intern Med. 2006 Oct;45(10):685-8. Epub 2006 Jun 15.

Pulmonary infectious complications associated with anti-TNFalpha therapy

(infliximab) for rheumatoid arthritis.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of

Medicine.

Two patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that developed serious

infectious complications following anti-TNFalpha therapy (infliximab) are

reported. Patient 1 developed tuberculosis with high fever, refractory

diarrhea and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Trans-bronchial needle biopsy was

useful to confirm the diagnosis. Patient 2 showed sudden onset of dyspnea

with diffuse bilateral lung infiltration caused by pneumocystis jiroveci

pneumonia and the diagnosis was confirmed by broncho-alveolar lavage.

Physicians should be alerted to infectious complications with atypical

presentation and rapid progression in infliximab-treated patients. Invasive

diagnostic procedures including fiber-optic bronchoscopy may be necessary

early in the course for such cases.

PMID: 16778341

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=Abstra\

ctPlus & list_uids=16778341

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