Projects

Mycophenolate in scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease: Real-world data from rheumatology and pulmonology clinics in South Asia

Groups and Associations Ramya Janardana, Aparna Irodi ,Pramod P. Chebbi, Ruchika Goel, Leena R. Vimala, Shivraj Padiyar, Anoof Peediyakal, John Mathew, Aswin Nair , Devasahayam J. Christopher, Debashish Danda
Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders 2022

Abstract

Introduction: There is a paucity of real-world data on mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolate sodium in systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease.

Aim: To study the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil/ mycophenolate sodium in systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease.

Methods: In this single-centre study, clinical, laboratory and imaging details of consecutive patients with systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease receiving mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolate sodium from rheumatology and pulmonology clinics between January 2008 and March 2017 were retrospectively retrieved. The change in percentage of predicted normal forced vital capacity at last follow-up visit as compared with baseline was studied. In addition, high-resolution computed tomography scans at baseline and 2-year follow-up visit were scored as either stable/improved or worsened by experienced thoracic radiologists blinded to the clinical details of patients.

Results: Altogether, 88 patients (85.2% females) with mean age (SD) of 33.8 years (± 11.3) and median (interquartile range) duration of disease since non-Raynaud's symptoms of 36 months (13.5-60) were studied. Diffuse systemic sclerosis comprised 85.2% of them. The mean baseline forced vital capacity was 61.2 ± 17.9% and median scores for ground glass opacities and fibrosis in high-resolution computed tomography were 0.5 (0-1.3) and 1 (0-1.3), respectively. At a median follow-up duration of 30 months (interquartile range = 16.5-49), the percentage of forced vital capacity improved by 1.8% (-3.82 to 9.07) as compared with baseline visit (p = 0.02). In the 2-year follow-up, the ground glass opacity and fibrosis scores in high-resolution computed tomography improved in 17.3% and 7.7% of patients and stabilized in 63.5% and 78.8% patients, respectively.

Conclusion: Mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolate sodium was efficacious in improving /stabilizing forced vital capacity irrespective of the baseline high-resolution computed tomography lung scores in our patients with systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease during the ⩾ 2-year follow-up period.

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