Improvement of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune Hepatitis in a Patient Treated with the Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor, Etanercept

Kunihiko Umekita; Shunichi Miyauchi; Shiro Ueno; Ichiro Takajo; Kazunori Kusumoto; Satoru Hasuike; Yoshiko Umekita; Hiroyuki Tanaka; Kenji Nagata; Yasuhiro Nagatomo; Hiroaki Kataoka; Kazuya Shimoda; Akihiko Okayama

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.50.4879

CASE REPORTS

Improvement of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune Hepatitis in a Patient Treated with the Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor, Etanercept

Kunihiko Umekita, Shunichi Miyauchi, Shiro Ueno, Ichiro Takajo, Kazunori Kusumoto, Satoru Hasuike, Yoshiko Umekita, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Kenji Nagata, Yasuhiro Nagatomo, Hiroaki Kataoka, Kazuya Shimoda, Akihiko Okayama

Author information

Kunihiko Umekita
Division of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Shunichi Miyauchi
Division of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Shiro Ueno
Division of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Ichiro Takajo
Division of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Kazunori Kusumoto
Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Satoru Hasuike
Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Yoshiko Umekita
Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Hiroyuki Tanaka
Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Kenji Nagata
Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Yasuhiro Nagatomo
Division of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Hiroaki Kataoka
Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Kazuya Shimoda
Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Akihiko Okayama
Division of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan

Keywords: autoimmune hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, anti-TNF therapy

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2011 Volume 50 Issue 11 Pages 1245-1249

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.50.4879

Details

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.

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