Etanercept in the treatment of Graves’ ophthalmopathy with primary hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis

Olivera Boskovic; Sanja Medenica; Nemanja Radojevic; Milos Zarkovic

doi:10.5114/ceji.2019.92803

eISSN: 1644-4124
ISSN: 1426-3912

Central European Journal of Immunology

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4/2019
vol. 44

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abstract:

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Etanercept in the treatment of Graves’ ophthalmopathy with primary hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis

Olivera Boskovic

¹

,

Sanja Medenica

^{1, 2}

,

Nemanja Radojevic

^{2, 3}

,

Milos Zarkovic

⁴

Department of Endocrinology, Internal Medicine Clinic, Clinical Center of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Clinical Center of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Department of Thyroid Gland Disease, Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

(Centr Eur J Immunol 2019; 44 (4): 463-465)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/ceji.2019.92803

Online publish date: 2020/01/20

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Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) is an autoimmune disease affecting ocular and orbital tissues. Overproduction of tumor necrosis factor  (TNF-) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and GO has destructive consequences.

The subject of this paper is a case of a female patient initially diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism substitution with levothyroxine, and subsequent diagnosis of RA with insufficient therapeutic efficacy of a standard medication. Three years later, the patient presented symptoms and signs of GO. Etanercept was administrated for RA, and after four months, an improvement of the eye symptoms and reduced exophthalmos were observed and confirmed using visual methods. Graves’ ophthalmopathy association with primary hypothyroidism is uncommon. The treatment of RA using etanercept led to clinical improvement of GO symptoms, which indicates that RA and GO may share similar pathogenic features.

The paper suggests that etanercept may suppress the symptoms and clinical signs of GO. However, controlled trials are needed to further evaluate the effect of TNF- inhibitors, particularly etanercept, and to compare its side effects with the current options for medical treatment.

keywords:

Etanercept in the treatment of Graves’ ophthalmopathy with primary hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis

Olivera Boskovic 1 , Sanja Medenica 1, 2 , Nemanja Radojevic 2, 3 , Milos Zarkovic 4

rheumatoid arthritis, TNF, etanercept, Graves’ ophthalmopathy

Olivera Boskovic

¹

,

Sanja Medenica

^{1, 2}

,

Nemanja Radojevic

^{2, 3}

,

Milos Zarkovic

⁴