Abstract
BackgroundThere is only limited clinical data on the benefit of intense immunosuppression in patients with severe interstitial pneumonia associated with autoimmune features or new-onset connective tissue disease.Case presentationWe here report a series of three consecutive patients suffering from severe interstitial lung disease necessitating endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. The first two patients fulfilled many diagnostic criteria for new-onset antisynthetase syndrome, the third patient for systemic lupus erythematosus. We decided to implement aggressive immunosuppressive strategies in these critically-ill patients including therapeutic plasma exchange, immunoadsorption, cyclophosphamide and rituximab. All three patients improved from respiratory failure, were successfully weaned from the respirator, and eventually dismissed from hospital with ongoing immunosuppressive therapy.ConclusionPatients suffering from severe connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease and respiratory failure may benefit from an aggressive immunosuppressive regimen and extracorporeal blood purification with rapid reduction of circulating autoantibodies. The impressive clinical responses in this small case series warrant a controlled clinical trial.
Highlights
There is only limited clinical data on the benefit of intense immunosuppression in patients with severe interstitial pneumonia associated with autoimmune features or new-onset connective tissue disease.Case presentation: We here report a series of three consecutive patients suffering from severe interstitial lung dis‐ ease necessitating endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation
Patients suffering from severe connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease and respira‐ tory failure may benefit from an aggressive immunosuppressive regimen and extracorporeal blood purification with rapid reduction of circulating autoantibodies
Currently there are no randomized controlled trials or case–control studies suggesting the efficacy or safety of immunosuppressive agents in patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features or patients suffering from antisynthetase syndrome [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Summary
Patients suffering from severe connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease and respira‐ tory failure may benefit from an aggressive immunosuppressive regimen and extracorporeal blood purification with rapid reduction of circulating autoantibodies.
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