title: Efficacy of cyclophospamide in the treatment of interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cyclophosphamide (CYC) stabilizes the parameters of lung function tests (LFT) of patients with (SSc) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) treated for 12 months. There is little information about long-term treatment (24 months). The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of intravenous CYC in LFT parameters in patients with SSc and ILD treated for 24 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 37 patients with ILD associated with scleroderma treated with intravenous CYC for 24 months and regularly assessed by LFT (at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months) including forced vital capacity (FVC) and transfer capacity of carbon monoxide (DL(CO)). To evaluate response to treatment the recommendations of the ATS and SEPAR were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference between FVC and DL(CO) values performed at baseline and those performed at 6, 12, and 24 months were less than 10%, which meant that CYC stabilized LFT. There were no differences in LFT when patients treated for 6 months were evaluated according to the type of skin involvement of the SSc (diffuse or limited) and the duration of the ILD. Although patients with severe restriction (FVC<70%) showed more improvement, it was less than 10% in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this series of patients with ILD associated with SSc intravenous CYC was effective in stabilizing LFT in long-term treatment.
authors: Servicio de Enfermedades Autoinmunes Sistémicas, Institut Clínic de Medicina i Dermatologia, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, España. gespino@clinic.ub.es
authors: Gerard
authors: G
authors: Espinosa
authors: Carmen Pilar
authors: CP
authors: Simeón
authors: Miguel Ángel
authors: MÁ
authors: Plasín
authors: Antoni
authors: A
authors: Xaubet
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Muñoz
authors: Vicent
authors: V
authors: Fonollosa
authors: Ricard
authors: R
authors: Cervera
authors: Miquel
authors: M
authors: Vilardell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide