title: Methotrexate use in miscellaneous inflammatory diseases.
abstract: Methotrexate has proven to be a safe, effective, long-term therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Its property as a corticosteroid-sparing drug in rheumatoid arthritis has been recognized and its potential has been explored in other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. This article describes and analyzes the use of methotrexate for a wide variety of diseases, some of which are not the usual province of rheumatologists, to provide some guidance concerning its role for treatment. Methotrexate therapy seems promising for systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory myopathy, inflammatory eye disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and some manifestations of sarcoidosis. Its role in other diseases is not as well defined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wilke
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009220:Myositis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy; D016706:Still's Disease, Adult-Onset / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D008727:Methotrexate