ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab for treating active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsSeventy-seven patients with active RA who treated from November 2013 to April 2015 in the Outpatient Department of Rheumatology in West China Hospital of Sichuan Universiy with follow-up data were involved. Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Tocilizumab was infused every 4 weeks at a dose of 8 mg/kg and concomitant use of other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) was allowed. Activity and efficacy were evaluated by Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response.ResultAfter the treatment, the DAS28 devreased from the baseline 6.88±1.09 to 4.99±1.53 (4th week), 4.31±1.37 (8th week), 3.74±1.15 (12th week) and 2.66±0.68 (24th week) (P<0.05). The disease activity level assessed by DAS28 was 11.1%, and the low activity was 9.5%, and the values were 10.5%, 32.2% and 66.6%, 16.7% (P<0.05) respectively at the 12th and 24th week. EULAR good/moderate response rates were 17.5%/76.2%, 39.0%/57.4% and 66.7%/33.3% at 8, 12 and 24 weeks. The differences in the decline over time in tender joint count, swollen joint count visual analogue score, Health Assessment Questionnaire score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein before and after the treatment were statistically significant (P<0.05). Adverse event was found in 21 cases who were alleviated after the treatment (1 anaphylactic reaction, and the other were mild).ConclusionTocilizumab is safe and effective in treatment of active RA patients.
Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is a type of autoimmune myopathy characterized by relatively severe proximal weakness with high serum muscle enzyme levels, myofiber necrosis with minimal inflammatory cell infiltrate on muscle biopsy, and infrequent extra-muscular involvement. The mechanism of necrotizing myopathy remains unclear. The new European Neuromuscular Centre criteria divides IMNM into three distinct subtypes according to different autoantibodies, which reminds us antibodies may be involved in the pathogenesis of IMNM and different subtypes may have different pathogenesis. This review summarizes the current understanding of the pathogenesis of IMNM.