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Letter
Peptostreptococcal pericarditis complicating anti-tumour necrosis factor α treatment in rheumatoid arthritis
  1. S Harney,
  2. F D O'Shea,
  3. O FitzGerald
  1. Department of Rheumatology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr O FitzGerald;
    rheumatologysvh{at}eircom.net

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.61.7.653

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    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common cause of disability and deformity for which treatment is often of limited value in controlling the disease process and outcome.1

    Infliximab (chimeric antibody to tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα)) is clearly efficacious in up to 70% of patients, but treatment may be complicated by the development of infections that are occasionally serious and life threatening. Pooled analysis reported a 21% incidence of infection among 453 patients treated with infliximab compared with an 11% incidence in 109 placebo recipients.2 Infections considered serious occurred in 3.4% and 1.8% of patients, respectively. As of August 2001, 84 of 170 000 patients treated with infliximab world wide had developed active tuberculosis, including 14 deaths.

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