Rheumatoid Arthritis with prednisone and methotrexate

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with concentrated levels of prednisone corticosteroids appear to respond well to treatment and experience minimal short-term effects on bone formation. Age, steroid-related compromise of immune function, heart failure, and diuretic use in this patient may all have contributed to the total drug toxicity. The lung infection developed due to low levels of blood cells, caused by methotrexate's toxic effects upon bone marrow. The study indicates that she was initially not diagnosed as having methotrexate pneumonia as she did not have all of the signs of the disorder.