[Cyclophosphamide pulse therapy for refractory rheumatic diseases]

Nihon Rinsho Meneki Gakkai Kaishi. 1997 Jun;20(3):152-8. doi: 10.2177/jsci.20.152.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

We studied the efficacy of cyclophosphamide pulse therapy (CYP) for refractory rheumatic diseases except for lupus nephritis. Thirty-five patients were included in all, that is 9 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 10 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 7 with polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM), 2 with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), 2 with anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), 1 with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), 1 with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), 1 with Behcet's disease (BD), 1 with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and 1 with allergic granulomatous angiitis (AGA). Moderate to marked improvement was noted in 4 patients with SLE (2 with CNS-lupus and 2 with vasculitis), 7 with RA (2 with interstitial pneumonia:IP, 2 with vasculitis and 2 with refractory arthritis), 4 with PM/DM (2 with IP and 2 with refractory myositis), 1 PSS with IP, 2 APS with thrombocytopenia, 1 JRA with vasculitis and BD with CNS disturbance. On the other hand, adverse reactions were observed in 9 out of 35 patients (25.8%). CYP should apply in the treatment for such refractory rheumatic diseases as CNS disturbance, vasculitis, IP and autoimmune thrombocytopenia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage*
  • Dermatomyositis / drug therapy
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / drug therapy
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymyositis / drug therapy
  • Rheumatic Diseases / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Cyclophosphamide