Anti-tumour necrosis factor-α-induced lupus in a patient receiving infliximab for sarcoidosis.

Infliximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, with a wide variety of uses. Monoclonal antibody therapies specifically targeting TNF-α, have emerged as a novel treatment option for patients with refractory sarcoidosis, with infliximab being the most widely used. This is not true of other TNF-α inhibitors, for example etanercept, which have a different mechanism of action, and are not effective in sarcoidosis. It is well documented that infliximab therapy can result in the production of autoantibodies, however clinical symptoms or disease is rare. In this report, we describe a 37-year-old male with a history of sarcoidosis requiring infliximab therapy, who presented during the course of his treatment with the onset of new migratory joint pain, increasing fatigue and positive serum autoantibodies, heralding the development of infliximab-induced lupus.