Successful treatment with etanercept of a patient with psoriatic arthritis after adalimumab-related hepatotoxicity

Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2009 Apr-Jun;22(2):547-9. doi: 10.1177/039463200902200234.

Abstract

Inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab) are nowadays widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), not responding to conventional therapies. Anti-TNF alpha drugs have demonstrated great efficacy in slowing the disease, however, to date, concern still remains regarding acute and long-term toxicity related to TNF block. Increase in liver tests may be observed during treatment with anti-TNF agents, more often related to concomitant drugs (i.e. NSAIDS, methotrexate) or to reactivation of chronic HBV or HCV infections. However, liver damage directly induced by the drug has been described in patients treated with infliximab or adalimumab. To our knowledge, no cases of liver injury closely related to etanercept have been reported so far. We report the case of a patient with PsA who presented liver dysfunction during adalimumab, subsequently successfully treated with etanercept.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Adalimumab
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / drug therapy*
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / immunology
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury*
  • Etanercept
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / therapeutic use*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Liver Diseases / diagnosis
  • Liver Function Tests
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Adalimumab
  • Etanercept