Drug-Induced Dermatomyositis Due to Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists

TNF inhibitors are valuable against inflammatory disease, but reports link their use to dermatomyositis in some patients.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a collagen vascular disease. Excess tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is sometimes seen in patients with this condition; TNF antagonists are therefore a potential therapy for such patients, but these drugs might also be involved in the development of DM.

Two recent reports detail the occurrence of DM in five patients receiving TNF inhibitors, four for rheumatoid arthritis and one for seronegative polyarthritis. All but one of the patients had disease of the skin and muscles, and one patient appeared to have skin-limited disease. Adalimumab was linked to the development of DM in three patients. A link with etanercept was suspected in two others, one of whom had previous adalimumab exposure and, perhaps, a forerunner cond…

Reviewing Author

Jeffrey P. Callen, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board XOMA; Eli Lilly; Celgene

Equity Various trust accounts

Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societies Association of Professors of Dermatology (President-Elect)