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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

An Immunohistopathologic Study to Profile the Folate Receptor Beta Macrophage and Vascular Immune Microenvironment in Giant Cell Arteritis
Published on: February 8, 2019
Risk factors for pneumocystis pneumonia in giant cell arteritis: a single-centre cohort study
C T Berger1, V Greiff2, S John3
1Medical Outpatient Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, and Translational Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
Objectives:
Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection. Few PCP cases in giant cell arteritis (GCA) have been described, but it remains unknown, which patients need PCP prophylaxis.
Methods:
Sixty-two patients with GCA from a prospective cohort were studied to identify treatment-related predictors of PCP infection.
Results:
Four PCP infections occurred, all in patients treated with methotrexate in addition to prednisone. Moreover, PCP is associated with higher cumulative PDN doses and severe lymphocytopenia (<400/μl).
Conclusions:
Our findings support PCP-prophylaxis in GCA patients who are treated with methotrexate and PDN, and need high prednisone doses to achieve remission, or develop severe lymphocytopenia.
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