Background: TNF-α inhibitors have been associated with induction of autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases. We retrospectively evaluated the incidence of autoantibodies ANA, ENA, anti-dsDNA, the occurrence of clinical symptoms and possibly related treatment failure.
Patients and methods: The titers of ANA, ENA and anti-dsDNA were evaluated from blood samples every six months in 128 patients receiving a TNF-α inhibitor (adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab).
Results: Overall 37% of 128 patients treated with anti-TNF-α drug developed autoantibodies, mostly induced by infliximab; 48.48 % of patients who received infliximab presented autoantibodies. One patient developed a drug-induced lupus erythematosus. Forty-five patients were switched to one or more additional TNF-α inhibitors and 25 developed autoantibodies.
Conclusions: An increased autoantibody titer is not predictive of treatment failure; particular attention to all phenomena suggestive for autoimmunity is needed in patients with a positive autoantibody titer. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of autoantibodies during anti-TNF- α therapy.
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.