title: The use of tacrolimus for recurrent lupus enteritis: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with lupus enteritis sometimes experience recurrence. In such cases, the addition of cyclophosphamide to the treatment regimen is recommended. However, an appropriate treatment has not been established in cases where cyclophosphamide failed to prevent the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 18-year-old Japanese woman was admitted for a recurrence of lupus enteritis. One year before admission she was treated for lupus enteritis with high-dose corticosteroid together with intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy. Upon admission, she was administered again with high-dose corticosteroid and her abdominal pain rapidly subsided. Tacrolimus was later used as an immunosuppressive agent and a complete remission has been maintained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tacrolimus can be a useful agent for recurrent lupus enteritis that is resistant to conventional therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Hematology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan. y_hirabayashi@doctor.nifty.jp.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.forename: Ryu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Naruhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takasawa
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harigae