Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of 34 Patients

Alexis Régent; Serge Redeker; Alban Deroux; Pierre Kieffer; Kim Heang Ly; Maxime Dougados; Eric Liozon; Claire Larroche; Loïc Guillevin; Laurence Bouillet; Olivier Espitia; Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau; Martin Soubrier; Benoît Brihaye; François Lifermann; Guillaume Lefevre; Xavier Puéchal; Luc Mouthon; Eric Toussirot; French Vasculitis Group, the Groupe Francais pour l’Etude de l’Artérite à Cellules Géantes, and the Club Rhumatismes et Inflammation

doi:10.3899/jrheum.151252

Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of 34 Patients

J Rheumatol. 2016 Aug;43(8):1547-52. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.151252. Epub 2016 May 15.

Authors

Alexis Régent¹, Serge Redeker¹, Alban Deroux¹, Pierre Kieffer¹, Kim Heang Ly¹, Maxime Dougados¹, Eric Liozon¹, Claire Larroche¹, Loïc Guillevin¹, Laurence Bouillet¹, Olivier Espitia¹, Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau¹, Martin Soubrier¹, Benoît Brihaye¹, François Lifermann¹, Guillaume Lefevre¹, Xavier Puéchal¹, Luc Mouthon¹, Eric Toussirot¹; French Vasculitis Group, the Groupe Francais pour l’Etude de l’Artérite à Cellules Géantes, and the Club Rhumatismes et Inflammation

Affiliation

¹ From the Université Paris-Descartes; APHP, Hôpital Cochin, Centre de référence maladies auto-immunes et systémiques rares, service de médecine interne, Paris; Service de médecine interne, Centre hospitalier d'Abbeville, Abbeville; Service de médecine interne, Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Grenoble, Grenoble; Service de médecine interne, Centre Hospitalier Général de Mulhouse, Mulhouse; Service de médecine interne, CHU de Limoges, Limoges; Department of Rheumatology, Hôpital Cochin, APHP; INSERM (U1153): Clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, PRES Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Paris; Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny; Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes; Service de rhumatologie, CHU de Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont Ferrand; Service de médecine interne et médecine polyvalente, Hôpital de Saint Quentin, Saint Quentin; Service de médecine interne, CH de Dax, Dax; Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Claude Huriez, Lille; Centre d'Investigation Clinique Biothérapie INSERM CIC-1431, FHU INCREASE, Service de rhumatologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU), Besançon, France.A. Régent, MD, PhD, Université Paris-Descartes; APHP, Hôpital Cochin, Centre de référence maladies auto-immunes et systémiques rares, service de médecine interne; S. Redeker, MD, Service de médecine interne, Centre hospitalier d'Abbeville; A. Deroux, MD, Service de médecine interne, Université Grenoble Alpes, CHU de Grenoble; P. Kieffer, MD, Service de médecine interne, Centre Hospitalier Général de Mulhouse; K.H. Ly, MD, PhD, Service de médecine interne, CHU de Limoges; M. Dougados, MD, PhD, Université Paris-Descartes, Department of Rheumatology, APHP, Hôpital Cochin, INSERM (U1153): Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, PRES Sorbonne Paris-Cité; E. Liozon, MD, Service de médecine interne, CHU de Limoges; C. Larroche, MD, Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Avicenne;

PMID: 27182063
DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.151252

Abstract

Objective: To report the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) for giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: A retrospective multicenter study that included 34 patients receiving TCZ for GCA.

Results: TCZ was effective in all but 6 patients, who still had mild symptoms. Mean glucocorticoid dose was tapered. One patient died and 3 patients had to stop TCZ therapy because of severe adverse events. Twenty-three patients stopped treatment; 8 of these experienced relapses after a mean of 3.5 ± 1.3 months.

Conclusion: TCZ is effective in GCA. However, side effects occur. Whether this treatment has only a suspensive effect remains to be determined.

Keywords: BIOLOGICAL THERAPY; GIANT CELL ARTERITIS; LARGE-VESSEL VASCULITIS; TOCILIZUMAB.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Aged
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use*
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Giant Cell Arteritis / drug therapy*
Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
Humans
Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
Male
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
Glucocorticoids
Immunosuppressive Agents
tocilizumab