Guest guest Posted December 15, 2001 Report Share Posted December 15, 2001 Vicki, Thanks for that article.... I sent it on to my docs who are following me. BillG > > > Anti-TNF Agent Linked to Case of New-Onset of Multiple Sclerosis > > WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Dec 07 - A case report suggests that > exposure to anti-TNF drugs might trigger multiple sclerosis. > > In a paper published in the current issue of Neurology dated November > 27, Dr. L. Sicotte and a colleague from the University of > California at Los Angeles note that previous reports have shown that > therapies aimed at inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) can worsen > multiple sclerosis (MS) or cause isolated demyelinating events. Now it > seems that anti-TNF agents might cause recurrent demyelinating events or > multiple sclerosis even after the drug has been withdrawn. > > The clinicians describe a 21-year-old woman with new onset MS " closely > associated " with the start of treatment with etanercept (Enbrel: > Immunex) for refractory juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. > > The patient had no family history for MS. > Nine months into etanercept treatment, the patient complained of pain > and decreased vision in her right eye and was diagnosed with optic > neuritis. The pain resolved and her vision returned to normal following > a 5-day course of high-dose IV methylprednisolone. > > Two months later, the patient had no new symptoms but new disease > activity was apparent on cerebral MRI. Despite discontinuing etanercept > at this time, the patient developed new enhancing lesions and neurologic > symptoms over the next 6 weeks and met criteria for " clinically definite > relapsing remitting MS, " the authors report. > > It is entirely possible, they say, that the use of etanercept and > development of MS were coincidental in this patient. It is also quite > possible that the drug either triggered latent or undiagnosed MS or > caused MS to develop. The fact that the woman was on etanercept for 9 > months before the first attack suggests that she did not have > undiagnosed MS, the team writes. > > Immunex has received a number of reports of CNS demyelination associated > with etanercept treatment, which led them to issue a drug warning in > October 2000. > > " Clinicians who prescribe these types of drugs should be aware of this > potential side effect and should closely monitor patients who develop > demyelination to determine if more events occur, " Dr. Sicotte said. > " This case is interesting because understanding why certain individuals > develop demyelination and/or multiple sclerosis while receiving anti-TNF > therapy may provide insight into the pathogenesis of multiple > sclerosis, " she added. > Neurology 2001;57:1885-1888. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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