THE OCCURRENCE RISK OF DEMYELINATING LESIONS IN
PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ANTI-TNF α
BIOLOGICAL THERAPY
ANA MARIA BUMBEAˡ, ANCA EMANUELA MUȘETESCUˡ*, DANA MARIA ALBULESCUˡ, ROXANA CARMEN DUMITRAȘCU², BOGDAN ȘTEFAN BUMBEA², DORIN POPESCU³, CARMEN VALERIA ALBUˡ
ˡUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rareș Street, Craiova, Dolj, Romania
²University Clinical Hospital of Craiova, 1 Tabaci Street, Craiova, Dolj, Romania
³University of Craiova, Faculty of Automation, Computers and Electronics, 13 A. I. Cuza Street, Craiova, Dolj, Romania
*corresponding author: anca_musetescu@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence risk of demyelinating lesions in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with
anti-TNF α biological therapy. The study was undertaken on 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis distributed in two groups.
The study group consisting of 25 patients received anti-TNF α therapy, while the control group consisting of 20 patients,
received only conventional synthetic drugs. All patients were evaluated every two years using cranial magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) from the beginning of therapy for all 6 years of study. We noticed an increase in the number and dimensions
of demyelinating lesions in the study group, but inactive, without gadolinium enhancement and without neurological clinical
correspondence. Anti-TNF α biological therapy could be a favouring factor in the development of demyelinating brain
lesions, but without any clinical correspondent and imaging inactive.






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