Session Information
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Title: Vasculitis Poster III: Immunosuppressive Therapy in Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Session Type: ACR Poster Session C
Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM
Background/Purpose: Tocilizumab (TCZ) has showed efficacy in randomized clinical trials in Giant cell arteritis (GCA). Data were of selected patients including many GCA of recent onset. In addition, TCZ route (IV or SC) and concomitant corticosteroid dose were not established. To assess the efficacy and safety of TCZ in an unselected largest series of GCA in clinical practice.
Methods: Retrospective, open label multicenter study on 134 patients from 40 national referral centers with GCA in treatment with TCZ due to lack of efficacy and/or unacceptable adverse events of previous therapy.
Results: 134 (101 women) patients; mean age, 73.0±8.8 years. Before TCZ and besides steroids, 98 (73.1%) patients also received immunosuppressive agents. The median [IQR] time from GCA diagnosis was 13.5 [5.0-33.5] months. After 1 month of TCZ, 93.9% showed clinical improvement. It was observed a decrease in: a) CRP from 1.7 [0.4-3.2] to 0.11 [0.05-0.5] mg/dL (p<0.0001), b) ESR from 33 [14.5-61] to 6 [2-12] mm/1st hour (p<0.0001), c) anemia from 16.4% to 3.8% (p<0.0001). This improvement was maintained reaching prolonged remission at 55.5%, 70.4%, 69.2% and 90% at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months respectively. Improvement in 18F-FDG uptake in PET-TAC occurred slower, and complete resolution was observed in 0%, 14.3%, 18.7% and 19.5% cases at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months respectively. The most relevant side-effects were serious infections (10.6/100 patients-year), associated to higher doses of prednisone during the first three months of TCZ.
Conclusion: TCZ leads to a rapid and maintained improvement in refractory GCA, regardless TCZ route, GCA duration and prednisone dose. Serious infections were higher than in clinical trials. With TCZ a maximum dose of prednisone of 15 mg with rapid reduction is advisable.
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Baseline n= 134 |
Month 1 n= 132 |
Month 3 n= 122 |
Month 6 n= 99 |
Month 12 n= 71 |
Month 24 n= 39 |
Month 48 n= 10 |
Clinical improvement, % (n/n available cases) |
|
93.9% (124/132) |
94.2% (119/122) |
90.9% (97/99) |
92.9% (66/71) |
100% (39/39) |
100% (10/10) |
Laboratory improvement |
|
|
|
|
|
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|
CRP (mg/dL), median [IQR] (n/n available cases) |
1.7 [0.4-3.2] (131/134) |
0.11 [0.05-0.5]* (98/132) |
0.09 [0.02-0.3]* (110/122) |
0.09 [0.03-0.2]* (92/99) |
0.09 [0.02-0.19]* (67/71) |
0.1 [0.02-0.34]* (39/39) |
0.13 [0.09-0.47]* (10/10) |
ESR (mm/1st/h), median [IQR] (n/n available cases) |
33 [14.5-61] (129/134) |
6 [2-12]* (102/132) |
4 [2-7.5]* (116/122) |
4 [2-8]* (93/99) |
4 [2-8]* (71/71) |
6 [2-16]* (39/39) |
9 [3-22]* (10/10) |
Hemoglobin (g/dL), mean (SD) (n/n available cases) |
12.31.5 (125/134) |
13.11.3* (104/132) |
13.31.3* (107/122) |
13.41.4* (88/99) |
13.31.4 * (64/71) |
13.11.3* (36/39) |
13.31.1* (9/10) |
Anemia (<11.0 g/dL), % (n/n available cases) |
16.4% (22/134) |
3.8% (5/132) |
4.9% (6/122) |
3.0% (3/99) |
4.2% (3/71) |
5.1% (2/39) |
0% (0/10) |
Prolonged remission † %, (n/n available cases) |
– |
– |
– |
55.5% (55/99) |
70.4% (50/71) |
69.2% (27/39) |
90% (9/10) |
Relapses ‡ %, (n/n available cases) |
– |
3.0% (4/132) |
5.8% (7/122) |
5.1% (5/99) |
14.1% (10/71) |
17.9% (7/39) |
10% (1/10) |
Prednisone dose, median [IQR] (n/n available cases) |
15 [10-30] (134/134) |
13.75 [7.5-20]* (115/132) |
8.1 [5-12.5]* (120/122) |
5 [2.5-7.5]* (97/99) |
2.5 [0.0-5]* (71/71) |
0.0 [0.0-5]* (39/39) |
2.5 [1.3-7.5]* (10/10) |
*p <0.01 vs. baseline (Wilcoxon test).
† Prolonged remission: absence of clinical symptoms and signs and normalization of the acute phase reactants (CRP and ESR) for at least 6 months. ESR <20 or 25 mm/h (in men and women, respectively) and/or CRP <0.5 mg/dL were considered normal.
‡ At least one relapse during follow-up.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Calderón Goercke M, Loricera J, Prieto Peña D, Aldasoro V, Castañeda S, Villa-Blanco I, Humbría A, Moriano Morales C, Romero-Yuste S, Narváez FJ, Gómez-Arango C, Perez Pampín E, Melero R, Becerra-Fernández E, Revenga Martínez M, Álvarez-Rivas N, Galisteo C, Sivera F, Olivé-Marqués A, Alvarez de Buergo MC, Rojas Vargas LM, Fernandez-Lopez C, Navarro F, Raya Álvarez E, Galindez-Agirregoikoa E, Arca B, Solans R, Conesa A, Hidalgo-Calleja C, Vázquez C, Ortiz-Sanjuán F, Lluch P, Manrique-Arija S, Vela P, De Miguel E, Torres-Martín C, Nieto JC, Ordas-Calvo C, Salgado-Pérez E, Varela-García M, Luna Gómez C, Toyos Sáenz de Miera FJ, Fernandez-Llanio Cornella N, Román Ivorra JA, García A, Palmou-Fontana N, Calvo-Río V, Martín-Varillas JL, Atienza-Mateo B, González-Vela C, Corrales A, Aurrecoechea E, Dos Santos R, García-Manzanares A, Ortego Centeno N, Fernández S, Corteguera M, González-Gay MA, Hernández JL, Blanco R. Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis. National Multicenter Study of 134 Patients of Clinical Practice [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/tocilizumab-in-giant-cell-arteritis-national-multicenter-study-of-134-patients-of-clinical-practice/. Accessed .« Back to 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting
ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/tocilizumab-in-giant-cell-arteritis-national-multicenter-study-of-134-patients-of-clinical-practice/