BACKGROUND Injection site reactions are well recognized in patients treated with etanercept. Previous reports describe histologic findings of a cell-mediated T(H)1 reaction, with CD8+ T cells composing the majority of the dermal infiltrate. OBSERVATIONS A pruritic, erythematous, edematous patch occurred on the right thigh of a 57-year-old white woman treated for rheumatoid arthritis within 12...

BACKGROUND Although previous studies suggested that TNF may contribute to heart failure progression, it is unclear whether antagonizing TNF is beneficial in heart failure patients. METHODS AND RESULTS Eighteen NYHA class III heart failure patients were randomized into a double-blind dose-escalation study to examine the safety and potential efficacy of etanercept, a specific TNF antagonist (En...

BACKGROUND the biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are very effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however there is a lack of head-to-head comparison studies. OBJECTIVES to compare the efficacy and safety of abatacept, adalimumab, anakinra, etanercept, infliximab, and rituximab in patients with RA. METHODS this 'Overview of Reviews' was done by including all C...

OBJECTIVE Documentation of the clinical results obtained utilizing perispinal etanercept off-label for treatment-refractory back and neck pain in a clinical practice setting. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The medical charts of all patients who were treated with etanercept for back or neck pain at a single private medical clinic in 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were treated if the...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the proportion of patients with ankylosing spondylitis maintaining clinical remission after reduction of their subcutaneous etanercept dose to 50 mg every other week compared with that in patients receiving etanercept 50 mg weekly. METHODS In the first phase of this randomized, prospective, follow-up study, all biologic-naïve patients identifie...

We report a 55-year-old female with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis for 10 years who developed large mediastinal and hilar adenopathy while receiving etanercept therapy. Chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) showed mediastinal lymph nodes with size of 2.3 × 3.1 centimeters. Right paratracheal lymph node biopsy showed nonnecrotizing epithelioid granulomata. All infectious studies of...

E tanercept, a soluble tumour necrosis factor a (TNFa) receptor fusion protein, may be combined with methotrexate (MTX) in severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Etanercept is generally given to patients treated with MTX who have an inadequate response. However, MTX could be introduced to patients who have already been treated with etanercept and who initially had a good response but subsequently a ...

Anticytokine and Immunomodulating Therapy Cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, are produced in increased amounts in a variety of tissues in patients with CHF.1 Higher plasma cytokine concentrations are associated with a worse prognosis.1 Experimentally, cytokines depress myocardial contractility, cause myocyte death, and induce heart failure.1 There is some evidence that anticytokine inter...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have multiple properties including anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in various disease models and clinical treatments. These beneficial effects, however, are sometimes inconsistent and unpredictable. For wider and proper application, scientists sought to improve MSC functions by engineering. We aimed to invent a novel method to produce synthetic biolo...

Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics results from 4 studies-3 open-label (OL) and 1 randomized double-blind (DB)-have provided data for approval of etanercept for treatment of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)-refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in Japan. Results from the 3 shorter-term (2 OL and 1 DB) studies are reported here. Subjects (4-17 years) enrolled in the OL ...