Bortezomib for the treatment of anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis in a patient with psoriatic arthritis receiving adalimumab: A case report and literature review

Anti -N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody (Anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is a serious autoimmune disease that can occur in patients on anti–TNF-α therapy. Adalimumab is a fully human, recombinant monoclonal antibody that inactivates tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and is used to treat various autoimmune diseases. The use of Adalimumab has been reported to be associated with autoimmune demyelinating conditions and increases the risk of malignancies. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with anti–TNF-α therapy responds to high-dose corticosteroids, plasma exchange procedures (PLEX), and subsequently, B-cell depletion by the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. A small subset of patients, however, remains refractory to steroids, plasma exchange and rituximab therapy. In these patients, Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, is a potentially effective treatment for those who fail second-line immune therapies.

Here, we report a case of severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis in a 39-year-old man with psoriatic arthritis who was on Adalimumab treatment for two years before symptom onset. He was refractory to high-dose steroids, plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), and rituximab. Four cycles of Bortezomib were administered 44 days after hospital presentation due to non-resolution of symptoms; following which, we observed gradual neurological recovery, and he was discharged after 94 days of hospital admission. This case demonstrates that Bortezomib may be useful in treating refractory cases of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in patients on Adalimumab.