title: Combined use of cyclosporine A and methotrexate in refractory polymyositis.
abstract: Polymyositis is an inflammatory muscle disease with unknown cause that is characterized by progressive weakness of the proximal muscles. Limited information is available concerning the effectiveness of the combination therapy with cyclosporine A and methotrexate in reducing myositis activity. We describe here a female patient with polymyositis who showed resistance to pulse corticosteroid therapy. Neither the combination of azathioprine (100 mg/day) nor methotrexate (10 mg/week) with corticosteroids decreased the value of creatine phosphokinase. Normalization of the creatine phosphokinase level as well as improvement of muscle strength was obtained only when low-dose cyclosporine A (3 mg/kg/day) was combined with methotrexate.
authors.affiliation: The First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsunaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiraishi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dobashi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takahara
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000188:drug therapy; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D008727:Methotrexate