Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis with rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia: The relation between the disease activity and the serum interleukin-6 level.
The patient finally had a partial clinical response (reduction in fever and irritability) and complete laboratory response (improved C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A levels) to humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody (MRA), but died from congestive heart failure and interstitial pneumonia 2 months after initiation of therapy.
As for cytokine network, prolonged overexpression of TNF-alpha along with increasing interleukin 6 (IL-6) were associated with the progression of interstitial pneumonitis.