Jiaxin Zhou1, Zhe Chen1, Jing Li1, Yunjiao Yang1, Jiuliang Zhao1, Hu Chen2, Min Liu3, Fei Sun1, Mengtao Li1, Xinping Tian4, Xiaofeng Zeng5. 1. Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China. 2. Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China. 3. Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, Minzu Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi, China. 4. Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China. tianxp6@126.com. 5. Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China. xiaofeng_zeng@cstar.org.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) in Chinese Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) patients. METHODS: This was a single-centre prospective study. Sixteen consecutive TAK patients were included. Patients were treated with tocilizumab infusions with a dosage of 8 mg/kg. Serum inflammation markers including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were recorded at baseline and before each TCZ infusion. Doppler ultrasonography was used to track vascular changes every 6 months during the study. The efficacy and safety profile of patients during the study were collected and analysed. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with a median age of 26.5 (18-47) were recruited and analysed. One patient was treatment naïve; the others had taken a median of 3 (1-5) conventional immune suppressants before TCZ therapy. Three patients withdrew TCZ after 1 infusion due to unbearable neck pain. The other 13 patients were treated with TCZ for a median of 13 (7-20) months. After TCZ treatment, the median ESR, hsCRP level, mural thickness of common carotid artery and subclavical artery decreased from 39 (7-92) mm/h, 28.88 (7.6-155.93) mg/L, 0.24 (0.06-0.59) cm, 0.18 (0.07-0.47) cm to 6 (1-30) mm/h (p<0.001), 0.59 (0.08-19.12) mg/L (p=0.006), 0.17 (0.04-0.53) cm (p<0.001), and 0.12 (0.07-0.18) cm (p=0.035) respectively. The glucocorticosteroid dosage was tapered or maintained in all patients. One episode of urinary infection was recorded and relieved after antibiotic therapy. Neither neutropenia nor abnormal liver enzyme was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that TCZ is a safe and effective agent for long-term treatment in Chinese TAK patients.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) in Chinese Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) patients. METHODS: This was a single-centre prospective study. Sixteen consecutive TAK patients were included. Patients were treated with tocilizumab infusions with a dosage of 8 mg/kg. Serum inflammation markers including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hypersensitivityC-reactive protein (hsCRP) were recorded at baseline and before each TCZ infusion. Doppler ultrasonography was used to track vascular changes every 6 months during the study. The efficacy and safety profile of patients during the study were collected and analysed. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with a median age of 26.5 (18-47) were recruited and analysed. One patient was treatment naïve; the others had taken a median of 3 (1-5) conventional immune suppressants before TCZ therapy. Three patients withdrew TCZ after 1 infusion due to unbearable neck pain. The other 13 patients were treated with TCZ for a median of 13 (7-20) months. After TCZ treatment, the median ESR, hsCRP level, mural thickness of common carotid artery and subclavical artery decreased from 39 (7-92) mm/h, 28.88 (7.6-155.93) mg/L, 0.24 (0.06-0.59) cm, 0.18 (0.07-0.47) cm to 6 (1-30) mm/h (p<0.001), 0.59 (0.08-19.12) mg/L (p=0.006), 0.17 (0.04-0.53) cm (p<0.001), and 0.12 (0.07-0.18) cm (p=0.035) respectively. The glucocorticosteroid dosage was tapered or maintained in all patients. One episode of urinary infection was recorded and relieved after antibiotic therapy. Neither neutropenia nor abnormal liver enzyme was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that TCZ is a safe and effective agent for long-term treatment in Chinese TAK patients.
Authors: Ana F Águeda; Sara Monti; Raashid Ahmed Luqmani; Frank Buttgereit; Maria Cid; Bhaskar Dasgupta; Christian Dejaco; Alfred Mahr; Cristina Ponte; Carlo Salvarani; Wolfgang Schmidt; Bernhard Hellmich Journal: RMD Open Date: 2019-09-23