The Onset of IgG4-related Retroperitoneal Fibrosis under Administration of a TNF Inhibitor in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient

Abstract

An 80-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis during treatment with etanercept, a TNF inhibitor, showed swelling of the salivary glands and retroperitoneal fibrosis, which was diagnosed as IgG4-related disease. Although some reports have shown the efficacy of TNF inhibitors for IgG4-related disease or retroperitoneal fibrosis, TNF inhibitors sometimes cause paradoxical reactions like psoriasis, and the mechanisms is considered to involve the upregulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and IFN-α, which is also common in patients with IgG4-related disease. This is a case report of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis with the possibility of a rare paradoxical reaction by a TNF inhibitor.