RESEARCH - Successful Enbrel therapy for refractory sacroiilitis in a patient with AS and MCTD

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Yonsei Med J. 2008 Feb 29;49(1):159-62.

Successful etanercept therapy for refractory sacroiliitis in a patient

with ankylosing spondylitis and mixed connective tissue disease.

Lee JY, Chang HK, Kim SK.

Department of Diagnostic Radiology, College of Medicine, Dankook

University, Cheonan, Korea.

The concurrence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in a patient with mixed

connective tissue disease (MCTD) is rarely described in the

literature. Significant and sustained efficacy with tumor necrosis

factor (TNF)-alpha blockers has been demonstrated in AS patients.

However, evidence to date has revealed associated side effects,

including antinuclear antibody induction and development of a

lupus-like syndrome. Several authors have reported lupus-like

manifestations in MCTD patients treated with TNF-alpha blockers used

to control peripheral polyarthritis. In our case report, we

demonstrate a good response to etanercept therapy for refractory

sacroiliitis in a patient with coexisting AS and MCTD, without

development of a lupus-like syndrome. This demonstrates that

etanercept therapy may be an appropriate therapeutic agent for

sacroiliitis in MCTD patients, as it is in AS alone.

PMID: 18306484

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18306484

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