Journal
LUNG
Volume 192, Issue 2, Pages 221-223Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00408-013-9532-y
Keywords
Fibrotic interstitial lung diseases; Scleroderma; Immunosuppressants; Mycophenolate mofetil; Cyclophosphamide; Pulmonary fibrosis; Treatment
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are commonly encountered in scleroderma where they significantly influence prognosis. The mainstay of treatment in idiopathic fibrotic ILDs for the past 30 years was based on the combined administration of prednisone and cyclophosphamide (CYC) or prednisone, azathioprine plus N-acetyl cysteine, recently proved ineffective and harmful. Rheumatologists also despite facts showing that CYC treatment has no beneficial impact on fibrotic ILDs in scleroderma continue to commit the same, in a manner of speaking, faults by treating their fibrotic ILDs by immunosuppressants. In this issue of the journal, Panopoulos et al. (Lung, 191, 483-489, 2013) recognizing the minimal effect of CYC on fibrotic ILDs in scleroderma patients and the increased use in clinical practice of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as an alternative, report that MMF use to replace CYC in this setting is not supported, confirming that restoration of purely fibrotic damage in the lungs remains one of the most challenging fields in medicine.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available