title: Bortezomib followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: A case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Despite the introduction of varied disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biological agents, a substantial proportion of patients remain untreatable. We report a 56-year-old Chinese female patient with a case of refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with multiple myeloma (MM) who was treated successfully with Bortezomib followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a 56-year-old Chinese female patient who was diagnosed as RA complicating with MM. She received 4 cycles of Bortezomib-based chemotherapy followed by ASCT. The response of her RA and MM were evaluated after every cycle of Bortezomib-based chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the first Bortezomib-based chemotherapy cycle, this patient's symptoms were significantly alleviated and thereafter the RA activity continued to improve. After the 4 courses of Bortezomib-based chemotherapy, the C-reactive protein was <0.5 mg/dL and the disease activity score 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 2.0. No hematological or nonhematological side effects were observed during the treatment of Bortezomib.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bortezomib might be a new safe and promising drug for refractory RA patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Junru
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Meilan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lifen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D000069286:Bortezomib / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069286:Bortezomib