Autoinflammatory & rare systemic diseases
Serum cytokine levels towards precision medicine in Still’s disease: a subanalysis of a randomized controlled trial of tocilizumab
Authors' conclusion
The effect of tocilizumab is limited to the IL-6 signalling pathway in Still's disease. Patients who did not respond to tocilizumab exhibited distinct cytokine profiles that pivot the IFN-γ axis.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with Still's disease
- Participants
- 26 patients
- Comparison
- Tocilizumab vs placebo; cytokine profiles by response to tocilizumab
- Tocilizumabn = 13
- Placebon = 13reference
- Primary endpoint
- Serum cytokine levels and profiles by response to tocilizumab
Methodological details52-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled
- 52-week
- Double-blind
- Placebo-controlled
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Baseline serum cytokine levels by response to tocilizumab
- Non-responders vs Responders: P = 0.03
- Non-responders vs Responders: P = 0.048
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Cytokine levels at week 52 by response to tocilizumabNon-responders vs Responders · remained high in non-responders | P = 0.02 |
| Cytokine levels at week 52 by response to tocilizumabNon-responders vs Responders · remained high in non-responders | P = 0.02 |
Correlations of cytokines with disease activity before tocilizumab
- IL-6 vs DAS28
- r = 0.67, P < 0.01
- IL-1β vs systemic feature score
- r = 0.33, P = 0.09
- IL-6 vs systemic feature score
- r = 0.38, P = 0.05
- IL-18 vs systemic feature score
- r = 0.40, P = 0.04
Cytokine changes after tocilizumab initiation vs placebo
- IL-6 and IL-6 receptor levels significantly elevated after tocilizumab initiation
- Other cytokines: no significant difference vs placebo
Original publication
Serum cytokine levels towards precision medicine in Still’s disease: a subanalysis of a randomized controlled trial of tocilizumab. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 15 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →