<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kameda, Hideto</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nagasawa, Hayato</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ogawa, Hiroe</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sekiguchi, Naoya</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Takei, Hirofumi</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Tokuhira, Michihide</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Amano, Koichi</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Takeuchi, Tsutomu</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Combination therapy with corticosteroids, cyclosporin A, and intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide for acute/subacute interstitial pneumonia in patients with dermatomyositis.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The Journal of Rheumatology</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2005</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2005-09-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1719-1726</style></pages><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">32</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">9</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">OBJECTIVE: Acute/subacute interstitial pneumonia (A/SIP) in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) is frequently fatal within months despite high dose prednisolone (PSL) therapy. Our objective was to improve the survival rate of patients with A/SIP associated with PM/DM; and to characterize patients with PM/DM who are at high risk of developing A/SIP. METHODS: We conducted a pilot trial of combined immunosuppressive therapy with high dose PSL, 10-30 mg/kg of intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide (IVCYC) every 3-4 weeks, and 2-4 mg/kg/day of cyclosporin A (CSA) for patients with A/SIP. A/SIP was diagnosed based on a history of rapidly worsening respiratory symptoms, progressive radiological findings or hypoxemia, and compatible findings in high resolution computed tomography images. RESULTS: Before December 2000, 12 patients with DM among 83 PM/DM patients developed A/SIP, and 9 patients died despite treatment using high dose PSL with or without a choice of CSA, cyclophosphamide, or azathioprine. Thereafter, 10 patients with DM among 27 PM/DM patients developed A/SIP, and they were given combination therapy with PSL, CSA, and IVCYC. Five patients survived and are doing well for more than 2 years, although the remaining 5 patients died of respiratory failure within 3 months. DM patients with A/SIP showed the following characteristic features: mild myositis, palmar papule, fever, and negative or low titer of antinuclear antibody. CONCLUSION: Immediate institution of intensified immunosuppressive therapy should be considered for patients with A/SIP complicating DM. However, even early recognition of A/SIP and immediate commencement of a regimen including CSA and IVCYC in addition to high dose PSL may not be sufficient for some of those patients.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>