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Risk factors for pneumocystis pneumonia in giant cell arteritis: a single-centre cohort study
C.T. Berger1, V. Greiff2, S. John3, K.F. Koenig4, M.B. Bigler5, M. Recher6, C. Hess7, T. Daikeler8
- Medical Outpatient Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, and Translational Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland.
- Medical Outpatient Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
- Medical Outpatient Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
- Translational Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
- Medical Outpatient Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine; and Immunodeficiency Lab, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
- Medical Outpatient Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine; and Immunobiology Lab, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
- Clinic of Rheumatology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
CER8225
2015 Vol.33, N°2 ,Suppl.89
PI 0122, PF 0125
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PMID: 26016762 [PubMed]
Received: 22/12/2014
Accepted : 21/04/2015
In Press: 26/05/2015
Published: 26/05/2015
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection. Few PCP cases in giant cell arteritis (GCA) have been described, but it remains unknown, which patients need PCP prophylaxis.
METHODS:
Sixty-two patients with GCA from a prospective cohort were studied to identify treatment-related predictors of PCP infection.
RESULTS:
Four PCP infections occurred, all in patients treated with methotrexate in addition to prednisone. Moreover, PCP is associated with higher cumulative PDN doses and severe lymphocytopenia (<400/μl).
CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings support PCP-prophylaxis in GCA patients who are treated with methotrexate and PDN, and need high prednisone doses to achieve remission, or develop severe lymphocytopenia.
