Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disorder in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis on methotrexate and rofecoxib: idiosyncratic reaction or pharmacogenetics?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease associated with altered immunoregulation and resulting in a deforming polyarthritis. Methotrexate (MTX) is a commonly used second line agent for RA, and there have been several recent reports of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated polyclonal B cell lymphoproliferative disorder in MTX-treated RA patients. The patient in this report had long standing RA treated with MTX and had recently begun taking a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor.

Diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem inflammatory disease that is often difficult to diagnose. Before the diagnosis can be established, four of 11 clinical and laboratory criteria must be met. Antinuclear antibody titer is the primary laboratory test used to diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus.