Lupus like syndrome induced by treatment with anti TNFalpha (infliximab): report of three cases

Since anti-TNFalpha treatments were introduced in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis, some cases of patients with drugs induced Lupus during clinical trials with infliximab treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were reported. We report three cases with history of refractory RA (two patients) and of psoriatic arthritis (one patient) with a diagnosis of Drug Induced Lupus, after treatment with infliximab, with different clinical features such as pericardial and pleural effusion, skin lesions and piastrinopenia and with autoantibody assessment. We also reviewed the development of anti nuclear and anti double-strand DNA antibodies and drug induced lupus in patients treated with anti-TNFalpha agents (infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab).