Visceral leishmaniasis infection in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with etanercept

V Bagalas; I Kioumis; P Argyropoulou; D Patakas

doi:10.1007/s10067-006-0356-5

Visceral leishmaniasis infection in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with etanercept

Clin Rheumatol. 2007 Aug;26(8):1344-5. doi: 10.1007/s10067-006-0356-5. Epub 2006 Jul 25.

Authors

V Bagalas¹, I Kioumis, P Argyropoulou, D Patakas

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pulmonary Disease, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Medical School-G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Exohi, Thessaloniki, 57010, Greece. [email protected]

PMID: 16865310
DOI: 10.1007/s10067-006-0356-5

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe disease that can develop in immunocompromised patients. Antitumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can result in clinical benefits, but with an increased risk of opportunistic infections. Leishmania infection in patients treated with TNF-alpha antagonists is extremely rare; for this reason, we report a patient with VL after etanercept treatment who had an unfavorable outcome.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Arthritis, Rheumatoid / complications
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy*
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / parasitology*
Etanercept
Fatal Outcome
Female
Greece
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Immunoglobulin G / adverse effects*
Immunologic Factors / adverse effects*
Leishmaniasis, Visceral / chemically induced*
Leishmaniasis, Visceral / immunology
Middle Aged
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor

Substances

Immunoglobulin G
Immunologic Factors
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
Etanercept