Use of Anti-Interleukin-6 Receptor Monoclonal Antibody in Drug-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a disorder that involves the activation of alveolar macrophages triggering the innate immune system. The parenchymal lung injury seen in ARDS is a result of many proinflammatory elevations including interleukin-6. There remains no effective standard of care of ARDS, and current treatments at this time currently do not target the immunological mechanisms or pathways involved. Treatments involving this pathway should be further investigated as targeted treatment. We discuss a case of a patient with multiple myeloma who was hospitalized with drug-induced ARDS who had a rapid response to an anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody.