Clinical effects of tocilizumab on cytokines and immunological factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Interleukin (IL)-6 is one of the crucial proinflammatory cytokines. The dysregulation of IL-6 plays a pivotal role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is involved in several of the common clinical manifestations associated with active RA. Recent therapies targeting IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have resulted in clinical improvements in signs and symptoms, disability and quality of life in patients with early and long-standing RA. Because it has been demonstrated that cytokines and inflammatory/immunological factors appear to be important and sensitive mediators in RA patients treated with tocilizumab and with anti-TNF biologics, it is important to investigate whether tocilizumab administration has any effect(s) on the profiles of cytokines and inflammatory/immunological factors and whether these changes correlate with the clinical improvement in RA disease activity. In this review, we discuss the effects on cytokine regulation and the differentiation of immune cells, especially T cells, after tocilizumab therapy in patients with RA.
['Kasama|Tsuyoshi|T|', 'Isozaki|Takeo|T|', 'Takahashi|Ryo|R|', 'Miwa|Yusuke|Y|']
D000818:Animals D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid D002454:Cell Differentiation D016207:Cytokines D006801:Humans D015850:Interleukin-6 D013601:T-Lymphocytes D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Tocilizumab Cytokines Immunological factors Rheumatoid arthritis IL-6 Biologics