Comparing treatment options for large vessel vasculitis.
Federica MacalusoChiara MarvisiPaola CastrignanòNicolò PipitoneCarlo SalvaraniPublished in: Expert review of clinical immunology (2022)
Conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, such as methotrexate or azathioprine, are recommended in association to glucocorticoids for selected GCA and all TAK patients. Two randomized placebo-controlled trials recently demonstrated the efficacy of tocilizumab in reducing relapses and cumulative prednisone dosage in GCA patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing disease. Observational evidence and two small randomized controlled trials support the use of TNF-alpha inhibitors and tocilizumab as glucocorticoid-sparing agents in relapsing TAK, albeit high-quality evidence regarding the management of TAK is still lacking.
Keyphrases
- newly diagnosed
- rheumatoid arthritis
- placebo controlled
- multiple sclerosis
- double blind
- disease activity
- end stage renal disease
- randomized controlled trial
- juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- ejection fraction
- chronic kidney disease
- phase iii
- prognostic factors
- open label
- high dose
- study protocol
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- low dose
- phase ii study
- radiation therapy
- cross sectional