TY  - JOUR
TI  - Anti-interleukin-6 (tocilizumab) therapy in Takayasu’s arteritis: a real life experience
AB  - Background/aim: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors and anti-interleukin-6 (anti-IL-6) therapies are increasingly being used inTakayasu’s arteritis (TA) patients who are unresponsive to corticosteroids ± conventional immunosuppressive agents. The aim of thisstudy is to assess the efficacy and safety of anti-IL-6 (tocilizumab) therapy in refractory TA patients in real life.Materials and methods: Fifteen TA patients (86.7% were female) who received at least 3 cycles of tocilizumab therapy were retrospectivelyassessed by clinical, laboratory, and radiological evaluations before and after tocilizumab therapy.Results: The median (min–max) age of the patients at evaluation was 35 (20–58) years and the median disease duration from diagnosiswas 24 (12–168) months. The median (min.–max.) duration of follow-up after tocilizumab was 15 (3–42) months. There was a significantdecrease in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and patient global visual analogue scale (VAS) scores ofpatients after tocilizumab therapy. The median (min.–max.) ESR was 26 (5–119) vs. 3 (2–49) mm/h, P = 0.02; CRP was 39.8 (2.4–149.0)vs. 7.9 (0–92.9) mg/L, P = 0.017; and patient global VAS was 50 (0–90) vs. 30 (0–60), P = 0.027, respectively. In 8 patients, ESR and CRPlevels were in the normal range in the last control. Imaging modality results after tocilizumab were available for 9 patients; 8 patientswere radiologically stable and regression was seen in 1 patient. Comparable imaging modality results before and after tocilizumab wereavailable for 5 patients; 4 patients were radiologically stable and regression was seen in 1 patient. Radiological findings were consistentwith laboratory responses. Glucocorticoid dosages decreased from a mean dosage of 16.2 (9.1) mg/day at baseline to 7.1 (3.8) mg/day (P= 0.001) at the last follow-up visit. There was no increase in the steroid dosage in any of the patients. All patients tolerated tocilizumabwell.Conclusion: Based on retrospective real life data, anti-IL-6 (tocilizumab) appears to be an effective and tolerable treatment option inrefractory TA patients.
AU  - KALYONCU, Umut
AU  - KARADAĞ, ÖMER
AU  - KİRAZ, Sedat
AU  - ERTENLİ, İhsan
AU  - ERDEN, Abdülsamet
AU  - Sari, Alper
AU  - Yardimci, Gozde Kubra
AU  - AÇIKGÜL FIRAT, ESRA
AU  - Armagan, Berkan
AU  - Kılıç, Levent
AU  - AKDOĞAN, Ali
AU  - APRAŞ BİLGEN, Şule
DO  - 10.3906/sag-1906-39
PY  - 2020
JO  - Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
VL  - 50
IS  - 1
SN  - 1300-0144
SP  - 31
EP  - 36
DB  - TRDizin
UR  - http://search/yayin/detay/334227
ER  -