Clinical and Imaging Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inhibitors in Treatment of Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Multicenter Experience.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is an increasingly recognized cause of cardiomyopathy; however, data on immunosuppressive strategies are limited. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitors is not well described; moreover, there may be heart failure-related safety concerns.
METHODS: Retrospective multicenter study of patients with CS treated with TNF alpha inhibitors. Baseline characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were adjudicated.
RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients with CS (mean age 49.9 years, 42% women, 53% African American) were treated with TNF alpha inhibitor (30 infliximab, 8 adalimumab). Prednisone dose decreased from time of TNF alpha inhibitor initiation (21.7 ± 17.5 mg) to 6 months (10.4 ± 6.1 mg, P = .001) and 12 months (7.3 ± 7.3 mg, P = .002) after treatment. On pre-TNF alpha inhibitor treatment positron emission tomography with 18-flourodoxyglucose (FDG-PET), 84% of patients had cardiac FDG uptake. After treatment, there was a significant decrease in number of segments involved (3.5 ± 3.8 to 1.0 ± 2.5, P = .008) and maximum standardized uptake value (3.59 ± 3.70 to 0.57 ± 1.60, P = .0005), with 73% of patients demonstrating complete resolution or improvement of cardiac FDG uptake. The left ventricular ejection fraction remained stable (45.0 ± 16.5% to 47.0 ± 15.0%, P = .10). Four patients required inpatient heart failure treatment, and 8 had infections; 2 required treatment cessation.
CONCLUSIONS: TNF alpha inhibitor treatment guided by FDG-PET imaging may minimize corticosteroid use and effectively reduce cardiac inflammation without significant adverse effect on cardiac function. However, infections were common, some of which were serious, and therefore patients require close monitoring for both infection and cardiac symptoms.
Volume
27
Issue
1
First Page
83
Last Page
91
ISSN
1532-8414
Published In/Presented At
Gilotra, N. A., Wand, A. L., Pillarisetty, A., Devraj, M., Pavlovic, N., Ahmed, S., Saad, E., Solnes, L., Garcia, C., Okada, D. R., Constantinescu, F., Mohammed, S. F., Griffin, J. M., Kasper, E. K., Chen, E. S., & Sheikh, F. H. (2021). Clinical and Imaging Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inhibitors in Treatment of Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Multicenter Experience. Journal of cardiac failure, 27(1), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2020.08.013
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
32889044
Department(s)
Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division
Document Type
Article