Case Report

Proliferative Lupus Nephritis and Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis During Treatment with Etanercept

ADAM MOR, CLIFTON O. BINGHAM III, LAURA BARISONI, EILEEN LYDON, and H. MICHAEL BELMONT

ABSTRACT.

Tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) is a proinflammatory cytokine. Agents that neutralize TNF-a are effective in the treatment of disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), spondyloarthropathies, and inflammatory bowel disease. TNF-a antagonist therapy has been associated with the development of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies, as well as the infrequent development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like disease. We describe the first case of biopsy-confirmed proliferative lupus nephritis and leukocytoclastic vasculitis in a patient treated with etanercept for JRA. (J Rheumatol 2005; 32:740-3)

Key Indexing Terms:

TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
NEPHRITIS
VASCULITIS
ETANERCEPT

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From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine/Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.

A. Mor, MD, Rheumatology Fellow; C.O. Bingham III, MD, Assistant Professor; L. Barisoni, MD, Assistant Professor; E. Lydon, NP, Nurse Practitioner; H.M. Belmont, MD, Associate Professor.

Address reprint requests to Dr. A. Mor, NYU–Hospital For Joint Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, 301 East 17 Street, Room 1410, New York, NY 10003, USA. E-mail: mora01@med.nyu.edu

Submitted June 24, 2004; revision accepted November 29, 2004.

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