A German team reports the successful treatment of a patient with refractory anti-Jo1-associated antisynthetase syndrome with CAR-T cells.
- After an initial transient worsening (myalgia, CPK 13,600 U/L, fever for 3 days), the 41-year-old man’s condition quickly improved.
- Three months after the injection of CAR-T cells:
- lesions had disappeared on thigh muscle MRI;
- Oxygen weaning was complete and alveolar lesions had completely regressed on lung CT.
- At six months:
- his muscle strength was normal (MMT of 149/150),
- his muscular endurance allowed him to walk more than 5 km.
- Following the administration of CAR-T cells, the patient’s immunoglobulin (IgG) level, already low before treatment, slowly decreased, leading to the introduction of intravenous IgG replacement therapy once a month.
