In that study of 550 RA patients, logistic regression analysis of data collected on the 237 (43%) with ILD revealed that age, smoking, RF positivity, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase closely correlated with ILD.Recent studies have identified risk factors for disease progression and mortality. A retrospective study of 167 patients with RA-ILD determined that the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was a risk factor for progression, as were severe disease upon diagnosis and rate of change in pulmonary function test results in the first 6 months after diagnosis. A study of 59 RA-ILD patients found no median survival difference between those with the UIP pattern and those without it. But the UIP group had more deaths, hospital admissions, need for supplemental oxygen, and decline in lung function. == References ==
If topical corticosteroids and moisturisers fail, short-term treatment with topical calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus may be tried, although their use is controversial, as some studies indicate that they increase the risk of developing skin cancer or lymphoma. A 2007 meta-analysis showed that topical pimecrolimus is not as effective as corticosteroids and tacrolimus. A 2015 meta-analysis, though, indicated that topical tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are more effective than low-dose topical corticosteroids, and found no evidence for increased risk of malignancy or skin atrophy. In 2016, crisaborole, an inhibitor of PDE-4, was approved as a topical treatment for mild-to-moderate eczema.Other medications used for AD include systemic immunosuppressants such as ciclosporin, methotrexate, interferon gamma-1b, mycophenolate mofetil, and azathioprine. Antidepressants and naltrexone may be used to control pruritus (itchiness). Leukotriene inhibitors such as monteleukast are of unclear benefit as of 2018.In 2017, the monoclonal antibody(mAb) dupilumab under the trade name Dupixent was approved to treat moderate-to-severe eczema. In 2021, an additional monoclonal antibody, tralokinumab, was approved in the EU & UK with the trade name Adtralza then later in the US as Adbry for similarly severe cases.