title: Mixed connective tissue disease associated with protein losing enteropathy: successful treatment with intravenous cyclophosphamide therapy.
abstract: A patient with mixed connective tissue disease who developed protein losing enteropathy (PLE) is described. The PLE and other symptoms improved dramatically after monthly intravenous administration of 700 mg/day cyclophosphamide three times combined with oral prednisolone, while they were ineffective to the treatment with intravenous methyl-prednisolone 500 mg per day for 3 days. The serum level of CA125 antigen paralleled the severity of symptoms, signs and laboratory data associated with PLE. Thus, pleural effusion, ascites, edema and hypoalbuminemia improved along with the decrease in the level of CA125, suggesting that CA125 might be a marker of the activity of PLE.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onoda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiwazaki
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011504:Protein-Losing Enteropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D015415:Biomarkers; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone; D008775:Methylprednisolone