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Acute febrile toxic reaction in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis who are receiving combined therapy with methotrexate and azathioprine.
- Source :
-
Arthritis and rheumatism [Arthritis Rheum] 1996 Jun; Vol. 39 (6), pp. 1016-20. - Publication Year :
- 1996
-
Abstract
- Objective: To assess the frequency and clinical features of an acute febrile toxic reaction (AFTR) in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving combined therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and azathioprine (AZA).<br />Methods: A cohort of 43 RA patients being treated with MTX/AZA combination therapy were studied. In all of them, RA had been refractory to single-therapy disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. We analyzed the frequency and clinical features of AFTR, which consisted mainly of the development of fever, leukocytosis, and cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis when AZA was added to the MTX regimen.<br />Results: Four of the 43 patients (9.3%) who had been receiving long-term, well-tolerated treatment with MTX (mean +/- SD 375.5 +/- 159.5 days, range 227-561 days) developed AFTR shortly (mean +/- SD 25.7 +/- 13.6 days, range 17-46 days) after the addition of AZA to the regimen. The AFTR resolved rapidly (3 +/- 1.4 days) after discontinuation of AZA and MTX. In 2 cases, rechallenge with AZA and MTX was linked to a new flare of AFTR.<br />Conclusion: The knowledge of this side effect is particularly important because it mimics a severe infectious complication related to immunosuppressive therapy, and because rechallenge can produce severe toxicity. Most of the new combined therapies for RA do not seem to be more toxic than single-drug treatment. Nevertheless, clinicians should be aware of a possible increase in side effects due to drug interactions or some other unidentified mechanism.
- Subjects :
- Acute Disease
Adult
Aged
Antirheumatic Agents administration & dosage
Azathioprine administration & dosage
Cohort Studies
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Humans
Male
Retrospective Studies
Time Factors
Antirheumatic Agents adverse effects
Arthritis, Rheumatoid drug therapy
Azathioprine adverse effects
Fever chemically induced
Leukocytosis chemically induced
Methotrexate administration & dosage
Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous chemically induced
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0004-3591
- Volume :
- 39
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Arthritis and rheumatism
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 8651964
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/art.1780390619