Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Dec;40(12):2047-51.
doi: 10.3899/jrheum.130536. Epub 2013 Nov 1.

Treatment of refractory Takayasu arteritis with tocilizumab: 7 Italian patients from a single referral center

Affiliations

Treatment of refractory Takayasu arteritis with tocilizumab: 7 Italian patients from a single referral center

Enrico Tombetti et al. J Rheumatol. 2013 Dec.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: INTERLEUKIN 6; TAKAYASU ARTERITIS; TOCILIZUMAB; VASCULITIS.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

LinkOut - more resources