Mixed connective tissue disease medical therapy

Mixed connective tissue disease Microchapters
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shaghayegh Habibi, M.D.[2]

Medical Therapy

• The treatment of patients with MCTD is organ specific and depends on:
  • Kind of internal organ involvement
  • Phase of the disease
  • Rate of progression
• Treatment strategies must follow conventional therapies that are used for similar problems in other rheumatic diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis).
• Patients usually react to low doses of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in combination with immunosuppressive drugs or biologic agents (monoclonal antibodies).
• In refractory cases or in severe clinical conditions, immunoglobulins, cytotoxic agents (such as cyclophosphamide) or biologic drugs can be administered.
• Plasmapheresis may be a therapeutic option, especially when it is combined with agents that can block production of pathogenic autoantibodies, such as rituximab (a monoclonal antibody anti-CD20 which can modulate the disease activity).