Etanercept-induced anti-Jo-1-antibody-positive polymyositis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: a case report and review of the literature

• Published in: Clinical rheumatology 2010-05, Vol.29 (5), p.563-566
• Main Authors: Ishikawa, Yuki, Yukawa, Naoichiro, Ohmura, Koichiro, Hosono, Yuji, Imura, Yoshitaka, Kawabata, Daisuke, Nojima, Takaki, Fujii, Takao, Usui, Takashi, Mimori, Tsuneyo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - adverse effects; Antibodies, Antinuclear - chemistry; Antibodies, Antinuclear - immunology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Case Report; Dermatomyositis - immunology; Etanercept; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - adverse effects; Inflammation; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Polymyositis - drug therapy; Polymyositis - immunology; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; Rheumatology
• ISSN: 0770-3198; 1434-9949
• DOI: 10.1007/s10067-009-1370-1

Antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy has been associated with adverse immunologic events including systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the development of polymyositis (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM) associated with anti-TNF therapy is extremely rare. We experienced a case of a 48-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had anti-Jo-1 antibodies and interstitial lung disease but no previous history of PM/DM and who developed PM soon after the initiation of etanercept (ETN) therapy for RA. The patient recovered upon withdrawal from ETN and corticosteroid (CS) therapies. Only four reports of PM/DM associated with anti-TNF therapy for RA could be found in the literature. The patients described in three of the four reports were positive for anti-Jo-1 antibodies before the initiation of anti-TNF therapy, and in all the cases, recovery occurred after the cessation of anti-TNF-agent administration and CS therapy. These results suggest a relationship between the onset of PM/DM with anti-Jo-1 antibody and anti-TNF therapy for RA.