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Efficacy of adalimumab for a refractory case of relapsing polychondritis with reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines

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Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

A 68-year-old man with a fever of unknown origin was admitted to our hospital. Bilateral auricularis and nasal root inflammation, with auricular perichondritis positive for anti-type II collagen (CII) antibody, led to a diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis (RP). Because the patient was refractory for high-dose glucocorticoid therapy, adalimumab was used. After the initiation of 40 mg of adalimumab, a rapid improvement of clinical manifestations, with a reduction in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), together with a titer of anti-CII antibody was observed.

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Abbreviations

ADA:

Adalimumab

AST:

Aspartate transaminase

ALT:

Alanine transaminase

CII:

Type II collagen

CRP:

C-reactive protein

CT:

Computed tomography

CY:

Cyclophosphamide

ETN:

Etanercept

HLA-DR4:

Human leukocyte antigen-death receptor 4

IFX:

Infliximab

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

MTX:

Methotrexate

RA:

Rheumatoid arthritis

RP:

Relapsing polychondritis

TAC:

Tacrolimus

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Translational Medicine, Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan

    Hideki Nakamura, Takahisa Suzuki, Satoshi Yamasaki, Mami Tamai & Atsushi Kawakami

  2. Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan

    Kentaro Nagaoka

  3. Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan

    Tomayoshi Hayashi

Authors
  1. Hideki Nakamura
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  2. Takahisa Suzuki
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  3. Kentaro Nagaoka
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  4. Satoshi Yamasaki
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  5. Mami Tamai
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  6. Tomayoshi Hayashi
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  7. Atsushi Kawakami
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hideki Nakamura.

Additional information

H. Nakamura and T. Suzuki contributed equally to this work.

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Nakamura, H., Suzuki, T., Nagaoka, K. et al. Efficacy of adalimumab for a refractory case of relapsing polychondritis with reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mod Rheumatol 21, 665–668 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-011-0453-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-011-0453-4

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