title: Improvement of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune hepatitis in a patient treated with the tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, etanercept.
abstract: We report a case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and Sjogren syndrome (SjS) that was treated with the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor, etanercept (ETN). Both RA activity and transaminase levels improved as a result of treatment. Follow-up liver biopsy showed improvement of hepatitis. Although the efficacy of anti-TNF for RA patients with AIH remains controversial, this case suggests that treatment with ETN may result in a favorable clinical course in a certain subset of patients with RA and AIH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umekita
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takajo
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasuike
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Umekita
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagatomo
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okayama
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001706:Biopsy; D015897:Comorbidity; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068800:Etanercept