Immunosuppressive Treatment for an anti-U1 Ribonucleoprotein Antibody-positive Patient with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Abstract

A 34-year-old woman with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was admitted to the hospital. She had been diagnosed with PAH three years earlier and treated with triple vasodilator therapy. She was positive for anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein antibodies but did not show any other symptoms associated with autoimmune diseases. Corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide therapy was administered, suspecting the involvement of immunological pathophysiology. After 3 weeks, the mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 50 to 38 mmHg without any change in the vasodilators. Immunosuppressive therapy was effective in this patient with PAH with an anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein-antibody-positive response and might be an option for patients with these specific features.