OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ) for refractory Takayasu arteritis (TA). METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the outcome of blocking interleukin (IL)-6 with TCZ in 7 consecutive patients with refractory TA using a combination of clinical and imaging assessment. RESULTS: During a median followup visit at 14 months, 4 patients taking TCZ [including 2 nonresponders to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors] achieved clinical response, suggesting a nonredundant role for IL-6 in TA. Inflammatory markers normalized in all patients treated with TCZ. However, vascular progression occurred in 4 patients, suggesting the involvement of other inflammatory pathways and confirming the limitations of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein for disease activity assessment while taking TCZ. Three patients experienced adverse events and 2 suspended TCZ. CONCLUSION: TCZ may be effective in a subset of patients with refractory TA, even in cases of unresponsiveness to TNF inhibitors. Inflammatory markers are not valid markers of TA activity on TCZ. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary observations.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ) for refractory Takayasu arteritis (TA). METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the outcome of blocking interleukin (IL)-6 with TCZ in 7 consecutive patients with refractory TA using a combination of clinical and imaging assessment. RESULTS: During a median followup visit at 14 months, 4 patients taking TCZ [including 2 nonresponders to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors] achieved clinical response, suggesting a nonredundant role for IL-6 in TA. Inflammatory markers normalized in all patients treated with TCZ. However, vascular progression occurred in 4 patients, suggesting the involvement of other inflammatory pathways and confirming the limitations of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein for disease activity assessment while taking TCZ. Three patients experienced adverse events and 2 suspended TCZ. CONCLUSION:TCZ may be effective in a subset of patients with refractory TA, even in cases of unresponsiveness to TNF inhibitors. Inflammatory markers are not valid markers of TA activity on TCZ. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary observations.
Authors: Enrico Tombetti; Maria Chiara Di Chio; Silvia Sartorelli; Enrica Bozzolo; Maria Grazia Sabbadini; Angelo A Manfredi; Elena Baldissera Journal: Intractable Rare Dis Res Date: 2014-02
Authors: Elena Incerti; Enrico Tombetti; Federico Fallanca; Elena M Baldissera; Pierpaolo Alongi; Elisabetta Tombolini; Silvia Sartorelli; Maria Grazia Sabbadini; Maurizio Papa; Francesco De Cobelli; Justin C Mason; Luigi Gianolli; Angelo A Manfredi; Maria Picchio Journal: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging Date: 2017-02-08 Impact factor: 9.236
Authors: Enrico Tombetti; Maria Chiara Di Chio; Silvia Sartorelli; Maurizio Papa; Annalaura Salerno; Barbara Bottazzi; Enrica Paola Bozzolo; Marta Greco; Patrizia Rovere-Querini; Elena Baldissera; Alessandro Del Maschio; Alberto Mantovani; Francesco De Cobelli; Maria Grazia Sabbadini; Angelo A Manfredi Journal: Arthritis Res Ther Date: 2014-11-14 Impact factor: 5.156
Authors: Diana Prieto-Peña; Pilar Bernabeu; Paloma Vela; Javier Narváez; Jesús C Fernández-López; Mercedes Freire-González; Beatriz González-Álvarez; Roser Solans-Laqué; José L Callejas Rubio; Norberto Ortego; Carlos Fernández-Díaz; Esteban Rubio; Salvador García-Morillo; Mauricio Minguez; Cristina Fernández-Carballido; Eugenio de Miguel; Sheila Melchor; Eva Salgado; Beatriz Bravo; Susana Romero-Yuste; Juan Salvatierra; Cristina Hidalgo; Sara Manrique; Carlos Romero-Gómez; Patricia Moya; Noelia Álvarez-Rivas; Javier Mendizabal; Francisco Ortiz-Sanjuán; Iván Pérez de Pedro; José L Alonso-Valdivielso; Laura Perez-Sanchez; Rosa Roldán; Nagore Fernandez-Llanio; Ricardo Gómez de la Torre; Silvia Suarez; María Jesús Montesa Cabrera; Mónica Delgado Sánchez; Javier Loricera; Belén Atienza-Mateo; Santos Castañeda; Miguel A González-Gay; Ricardo Blanco Journal: Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis Date: 2021-06-18 Impact factor: 5.346