Eternacept for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concurrent interstitial lung disease

Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-blocking agents are increasingly used in the management of refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although effective, they are associated with rare but potentially fatal adverse effects, including interstitial lung disease (ILD). In patients with pre-existing ILD, eternacept (ETN) monotherapy is often regarded as a suitable choice. Other anti-TNF-α blockers such as infliximab and adalimumab, are used in combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) in most of the cases. We report on a case of fatal exacerbation of ILD in a patient given ETN monotherapy and review the literature on ETN-associated ILD.

We report on a case of a 75-year-old male with RA who developed severe ILD after the introduction of ETN, and we undertook a literature search to identify other reports of similar cases. We then critically assessed those reports.

In addition to our case, 11 other patients have been reported to have developed ILD in association with the use of ETN. Six patients had pre-existing ILD. Although four patients received MTX, eight patients developed severe ILD without MTX. Ten patients recovered after termination of ETN, although two patients died.

Although ETN is often regarded as safe for patients with ILD, our case and the literature reports suggest that caution is still required.