TNF-alpha inhibitors in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. A case report and a systematic literature review

Abstract

Joint involvement is a common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is described as a non-erosive mild synovitis. However some SLE patients may present a more severe joint involvement requiring aggressive therapy. We describe the case of a SLE patient with a severe arthritis unresponsive to methotrexate, successfully treated with anti-TNF-alpha drug as induction therapy and we report the results of a systematic literature review on the use of TNF-alpha inhibitors in SLE.

Keywords:

• Anti-TNF therapy
• Joint involvement
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• treatment targets

Conflict of interest

None.