title: Coadministration of cyclosporin a with prednisolone in acute interstitial pneumonia complicating polymyositis/dermatomyositis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate clinical effectiveness of prednisolone (PSL) and cyclosporin A (CyA), particularly continuous intravenous administration of the latter, in patients with interstitial pneumonia (IP) associated with polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the clinical findings and therapeutic outcomes of patients with PM/DM who had received PSL and CyA (PSL + CyA, n = 21 for DM and 2 for PM) or the former alone (n = 12 for DM and 7 for PM). All patients receiving PSL + CyA had active IP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen of the 21 DM patients receiving PSL + CyA showed favorable therapeutic outcomes of IP (recovery group), while the remaining 6 died of respiratory failure (death group). Before treatment PaO(2) in room air and %VC were significantly lower, and the total CT score was significantly higher in the death group than in the recovery one. Continuous intravenous administration of CyA was performed in 6 patients for severe IP requiring oxygen therapy, and of these 2 showed complete recovery from it.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coadministration of PSL and CyA, particularly continuous intravenous infusion of the latter, from the early phase of illness may be a potent therapeutic option for PM/DM patients with decreases in PaO(2) and %VC and/or a high total CT score suggestive of a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Neurology and Rheumatology), Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimojima
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Nagaaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.forename: Ko-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tazawa
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sekijima
authors.forename: Shu-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda