ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

Abstract Number: 0739

Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis with ischemic vs non-ischemic manifestations

Carmen Secada-Gómez1, Javier Loricera2, Clara Moriano3, Santos Castañeda4, Javier Narváez5, Vicente Aldasoro Cáceres6, Olga Maiz7, Rafael B. Melero-González8, Paloma Vela Casasempere9, Susana Romero-Yuste10, Jose Luis Callejas11, Eugenio de Miguel12, Eva Galíndez Agirregoikoa13, Francisca Sivera14, Ivan Ferraz Amaro15, Julio Sánchez Martín16 and Ricardo Blanco1, 1Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Immunopathology Group, Santander, Spain, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, 2Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Immunopathology Group, Santander , Spain, Santander, Spain, 3Hospital León, LEON, Castilla y Leon, Spain, 4Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, IIS-Princesa, Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 5Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain, 6Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, 7Hospital Universitario de Donosti, Donostia, Spain, 8COMPLEXO HOSPITALARIO UNIVERSITARIO DE OURENSE, O Carballino, Spain, 9Hospital General Universitario Alicante, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain, 10University Hospital Complex of Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain, 11Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital San Cecilio, Granada, Spain, 12Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain, 13BASURTO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, BILBAO, Spain, 14Hospital General Universitario Elda, Elda, Spain, 15Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, 16Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2025

Keywords: , ,

Session Information

Date: Sunday, October 26, 2025

Title: (0731–0764) Vasculitis – Non-ANCA-Associated & Related Disorders Poster I

Session Type: Poster Session A

Session Time: 10:30AM-12:30PM

Background/Purpose: Tocilizumab (TCZ) is the only approved biological drug in the treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA). However, there are no comparative studies on the efficacy of TCZ in patients with GCA with ischaemic vs. non-ischaemic manifestations. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of TCZ in patients with GCA with ischaemic vs. non-ischaemic manifestations in clinical practice.

Methods: Multicentre observational and comparative study of 471 patients with GCA treated with TCZ. GCA was diagnosed by: i) ACR criteria, and/or ii) temporal artery biopsy, and/or iii) imaging techniques. In this case, a comparative subanalysis between patients with GCA with ischaemic manifestations (visual involvement and/or jaw claudication and/or stroke) and those with GCA with non-ischaemic manifestations was done. Remission was considered according to EULAR definitions, as the absence of signs and symptoms of GCA and the normalization of the ESR and CRP values (1).

Results: The 471 patients with GCA were divided into 2 subgroups: a) GCA with ischaemic manifestations (n=162), and b) GCA with non-ischaemic manifestations (n=309) (TABLE). Patients with ischaemic manifestations were older, met ACR1990 criteria more often, had positive temporal biopsy more frequently and the time from diagnosis to onset of TCZ was shorter. The predominant phenotype in patients with ischaemic manifestations was cranial GCA and they presented more frequently hypertension and higher mean CRP and ESR values. The mean dose of prednisone was higher in this group, while concomitant use with a conventional synthetic DMARD was more frequent in the non-ischaemic group.No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of remission except within the 6 months of starting TCZ, which was higher in the non-ischaemic group (FIGURE). Glucocorticoid dose was higher in the GCA group with ischaemic manifestations during the first 3 months, but was similar in both groups thereafter.

Conclusion: The effectiveness of TCZ appears to be similar in patients with GCA with ischaemic and in patients with non-ischaemic manifestations, although in the latter group combined treatment was more frequent.

Supporting image 1

Supporting image 2TABLE. Main features of GCA patients with and without ischaemic manifestations treated with tocilizumab.

Disclosures: C. Secada-Gómez: None; J. Loricera: AbbVie/Abbott, 5, AstraZeneca, 2, 5, 6, Celgene, 2, 5, 6, Eli Lilly, 5, Janssen, 5, Merck/MSD, 2, 5, 6, Novartis, 2, 5, 6, Pfizer, 5, Roche, 2, 5, 6, UCB, 2, 5, 6; C. Moriano: None; S. Castañeda: None; J. Narváez: None; V. Aldasoro Cáceres: None; O. Maiz: None; R. Melero-González: None; P. Vela Casasempere: None; S. Romero-Yuste: AbbVie, 2, 6, AstraZeneca, 2, 6, Eli Lilly & Co., 2, 6, Galapagos, 6, UCB, 2; J. Callejas: None; E. de Miguel: AbbVie, 1, 5, 6, BMS, 6, Eli Lilly, 1, 6, Grunenthal, 6, Janssen, 1, 6, MSD, 6, Novartis, 1, 5, 6, Pfizer, 1, 5, 6, Roche, 5, 6, Sanofi, 6, UCB, 6; E. Galíndez Agirregoikoa: None; F. Sivera: None; I. Ferraz Amaro: None; J. Sánchez Martín: None; R. Blanco: AbbVie/Abbott, 2, 5, 6, Bristol-Myers Squibb(BMS), 2, 6, Eli Lilly, 2, 6, Janssen, 2, 6, Merck/MSD, 2, 5, 6, Pfizer, 2, 6, Roche, 2, 5, 6.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Secada-Gómez C, Loricera J, Moriano C, Castañeda S, Narváez J, Aldasoro Cáceres V, Maiz O, Melero-González R, Vela Casasempere P, Romero-Yuste S, Callejas J, de Miguel E, Galíndez Agirregoikoa E, Sivera F, Ferraz Amaro I, Sánchez Martín J, Blanco R. Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis with ischemic vs non-ischemic manifestations [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2025; 77 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/tocilizumab-in-giant-cell-arteritis-with-ischemic-vs-non-ischemic-manifestations/. Accessed .

« Back to ACR Convergence 2025

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/tocilizumab-in-giant-cell-arteritis-with-ischemic-vs-non-ischemic-manifestations/