[Nation-wide survey for the treatment with cyclosporin A of interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen diseases].

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the efficacy and safety of cyclosporin A (CsA) for the treatment of interstitial pneumonia (IP) associated with collagen diseases in Japan.

Methods: Questionnaires were sent to 36 hospitals specializing in collagen diseases.

Results: Fifty-eight patients (7 polymyositis (PM), 19 dermatomyositis (DM), 7 systemic sclerosis (SSc), 7 rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 2 mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), 1 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 1 Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 1 RA + SSc, 2 PM + SSc, 1 DM + SLE, and 10 idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) with IP were treated with CsA at 14 hospitals. IP was classified into the acute or chronic type. In the PM/DM group (7 PM, 19 DM, 2 PM + SSC, 1 DM + SLE), 65.5% were the acute type. In the other collagen disease group (7 SSc, 7 RA, 2 MCTD, 1 SLE, 1 SS, and 1 RA + SSc) and IIP group, 36.8% and 50% were the acute type, respectively. Mean dosages of CsA were 3.7 +/- 1.3 mg/kg/day for the PM/DM group, 3.0 +/- 1.0 for the other collagen disease group, and 3.8 +/- 4.8 for the IIP group. Oral corticosteroids were administered in combination with CsA in 100, 73.7, and 70% of the patients with PM/DM, other collagen disease, and IIP groups, respectively. CsA was effective for 72.2, 33.3, and 25% of the acute IP cases in the PM/DM, other collagen disease, and IIP groups, respectively. CsA was effective for 50.0, 50.0, and 60.0% of chronic IP cases in the PM/DM, other collagen disease, and IIP groups, respectively. Twenty-three adverse effects were observed, but most of them ameliorated upon withdrawal or reduction of the CsA dose.

Conclusion: CsA is effective for the treatment of acute type IP associated with collagen diseases, especially PM/DM. To perform a prospective multi-center trial, standards for the recruitment of patients, efficacy assessments, and trial course and treatment should be determined carefully.