Successful Treatment of Lupus Cerebrovascular Disease with Mycophenolate Mofetil.

Abstract

We report a case of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus successfully treated with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). The patient was a 40-year-old female who maintained with 7 mg of prednisolone plus 100 mg of azathioprine (AZ) per day. According to transient ischemic attack that occurred repeatedly and an elevated level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in spinal fluid, she was diagnosed as having neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). Initial increase in doses of prednisolone and AZ to 20 mg and 150 mg per day, respectively, was ineffective. After switching from AZ to MMF, her symptoms of NPSLE completely resolved with marked improvement of the IL-6 level in her spinal fluid, suggesting that MMF was effective.

• Authors: Kazuhiko Higashioka, Kenji Yoshida, Kensuke Oryoji, Kazuo Kamada, Shinichi Mizuki, Hiroshi Tsukamoto, Eisuke Yokota, Koichi Akashi
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 54 Issue 17 Pg. 2255-9 ( 2015) ISSN: 1349-7235 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 26328657 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• IL6 protein, human
• Immunosuppressive Agents
• Interleukin-6
• Mycophenolic Acid
• Azathioprine

Topics

• Adult
• Azathioprine (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunosuppressive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Interleukin-6 (metabolism)
• Ischemic Attack, Transient (etiology)
• Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Mycophenolic Acid (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome