Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31415347›Full record

ArticleMedicine2019

Hepatitis E infection in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with leflunomide: A case report with emphasis on geoepidemiology.

Francesco Carubbi, Giovanna Picchi, Salvatore Di Bartolomeo, Alessandra Ricciardi, Paola Cipriani, Laura Marola, Alessandro Grimaldi, Roberto Giacomelli

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Francesco CarubbiRheumatology Unit, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila.
Giovanna PicchiInfectious Disease Department, S. Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy.
Salvatore Di BartolomeoRheumatology Unit, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila.
Alessandra RicciardiInfectious Disease Department, S. Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy.
Paola CiprianiRheumatology Unit, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila.
Laura MarolaInfectious Disease Department, S. Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy.
Alessandro GrimaldiInfectious Disease Department, S. Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy.
Roberto GiacomelliRheumatology Unit, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila.
San Salvatore Hospital · ITUniversity of L'Aquila · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleHepatitis E is an infectious disease due to inflammation of the liver caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) and represents one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis and jaundice in the world. Although data of hepatitis E infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are accumulating, little is known on the course of HEV infection. We reported, for the 1st time, a case of patient with RA with hepatitis E that developed during leflunomide therapy in combination with low-dose steroids. PATIENT CONCERNS: We present a 39-year-old woman, affected by RA and treated with leflunomide, reported diffuse itching and persistent fatigue laboratory data revealed elevated liver enzyme levels. DIAGNOSIS: Positivity for anti-HEV IgM and IgG was observed. HEV-RNA of the genotype 3 was detected, indicating acute E hepatitis. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: Leflunomide was stopped and restarted 5 months after the initial diagnosis at the same dosage, with a close clinical and laboratory follow-up. The virus was eradicated from the serum without chronic transformation. The patient is alive and well 7 months after the initial diagnosis. LESSONS: To our knowledge, this report is the 1st case of acute E hepatitis in a patient with RA developed during leflunomide therapy in combination with low-dose steroids. Moreover, geoepidemiology of infection is important, due to the fact that Abruzzo, a central region of Italy, has the highest HEV seroprevalence in general population, related to the zoonotic transmission of the infection from domestic and wild animals. Our case highlighted that immunosuppressive therapy, and in particular leflunomide, could be safely reintroduced after the resolution of the infection and the clearance of the virus. Further studies are needed to evaluate potential advantages in serologic testing for HEV infection as a part of the routine workup done to patients with rheumatic diseases and selected for immunosuppressive therapy.

Indexed as

AdultArthritis, RheumatoidFemaleHepatitis EHepatitis E virusHumansImmunosuppressive AgentsItalyLeflunomideSeroepidemiologic StudiesImmunosuppressive AgentsLeflunomide

Identifiers

PMID31415347
PMCPMC6831386
OpenAlexW2967040623

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.