Effects of cyclophosphamide and rituximab in patients with connective tissue diseases with severe interstitial lung disease.

Objectives: We aimed to analyse the effects of real-life immunomodulatory therapy with cyclophosphamide and rituximab for interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc-ILD), anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS-ILD), or Sjögren's syndrome (SjS-ILD), in a single academic centre.

Methods: All inpatients with connective tissue diseases treated with intravenous bolus cyclophosphamide or rituximab were identified from the Medical Centre records. Information on patient characteristics, chest CT results, pulmonary function tests, therapies, and severe adverse events, were extracted from inpatient and outpatient records.