Biomedical subjects

Michele Covelli

Publications and source records attributed to Michele Covelli.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Use of etanercept in the treatment of dermatomyositis: a case series.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of etanercept, a recombinant human soluble fusion protein of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) type II receptor and IgG1, in patients with adult dermatomyositis (DM). METHODS: Five patients with active DM were studied. All patients reported muscle weakness and had elevated muscle enzymes creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. Because of lack of response to steroid and cytotoxic therapy, etanercept was given at a dose of 25 mg subcutaneously twice a week for at least 3 months. RESULTS: All patients experienced an exacerbation of disease, with increase of muscle weakness, elevation of muscle enzyme levels, and unchanged rash. Treatment with etanercept was stopped. After receiving a combination of methotrexate (MTX) and azathioprine, disease manifestations improved in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: In our case series, TNF-alpha inhibition by etanercept was not effective, suggesting that a broad immunosuppressive therapy is needed to treat DM.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Cutaneous lesions as presenting symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis: an undifferentiated connective tissue disease-like onset.

We describe two patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who presented with specific symptoms mimicking an undifferentiated connective tissue disease (arthromyalgia, fatigue, cutaneous lesions either morbillous-like or urticarial, the latter with an eosinophil infiltrate of upper dermis). Subsequent detection firstly of eosinophilia in the blood and secondarily of antimitochondrial antibodies with results of liver biopsy allowed a diagnosis of asymptomatic PBC. In our cases, a peculiar sign of early stage of PBC was represented also by the eosinophilia in the liver.

Autoantibodies↗

PubMed2005

Improvement of renal function and disappearance of hepatitis B virus DNA in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and renal amyloidosis following treatment with infliximab.

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Adult↗

PubMed2003

Microscopic polyangiitis associated with primary biliary cirrhosis.

We describe a patient with microscopic polyangiitis and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who presented with a non-erosive polyarthritis followed by pulmonary and renal involvement and signs of liver disorder. Detection of pANCA and antimitochondrial antibodies with results of renal and liver biopsies allowed a diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis and PBC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between the 2 diseases.

Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic↗