Successful treatment of anti-MDA5 antibody-positive refractory interstitial lung disease with plasma exchange therapy

Objectives We examined the effectiveness of plasma exchange (PE) therapy to reduce the mortality of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) in patients positive for anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibodies. Methods Among 142 patients newly diagnosed with PM/DM or clinically amyopathic DM from 2008 to 2019 at our hospital, 10 were diagnosed with refractory RP-ILD and were positive for anti-MDA5 antibodies....