Journal of Clinical Medicine Review Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: Lights and Shadows Giulia Cassone 1,2 , Andreina Manfredi 3, Caterina Vacchi 4, Fabrizio Luppi 5 , Francesca Coppi 6, Carlo Salvarani 3 and Marco Sebastiani 3,* 1 Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy;
[email protected] 2 Rheumatology Unit, IRCCS Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy 3 Chair and Rheumatology Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy;
[email protected] (A.M.);
[email protected] (C.S.) 4 Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy;
[email protected] 5 Respiratory Unit, University of Milano Bicocca, S. Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy;
[email protected] 6 Department of Cardiology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Univesitaria Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-059-4225636; Fax: +39-059-4223007 Received: 11 March 2020; Accepted: 3 April 2020; Published: 10 April 2020 Abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and systemic inflammatory disease affecting 0.5–1% of the population worldwide. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious pulmonary complication of RA and it is responsible for 10–20% of mortality, with a mean survival of 5–8 years. However, nowadays there are no therapeutic recommendations for the treatment of RA-ILD. Therapeutic options for RA-ILD are complicated by the possible pulmonary toxicity of many disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and by their unclear efficacy on pulmonary disease.