Vol.22 No.5

Original Article

Therapeutic response of patients with adult Still’s disease to biologic agents: multicenter results in Japan

Authors

Rie Suematsu1 , Akihide Ohta2 , Emi Matsuura3 , Hiroki Takahashi4 , Takao Fujii5 , Takahiko Horiuchi6 , Seiji Minota7 , Yoshiaki Ishigatsubo8 , Toshiyuki Ota9 , Shuji Takei10 , Sachiko Soejima1 , Hisako Inoue1, Syuichi Koarada1, Yoshifumi Tada1, Kohei Nagasawa1

  • Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga University School of Medicine, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga, 849-8501, Japan
  • Department of Adult and Gerontological Nursing, Saga University School of Medicine, Saga, Japan
  • Faculty of Nursing, Kwassui Women’s University, Nagasaki, Japan
  • 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
  • Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
  • Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Science, Fukuoka, Japan
  • Division of Rheumatology/Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
  • Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
  • Department of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
  • School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
Received:

15 September 2011

Accepted:

17 November 2011

Published online:

9 December 2011

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Abstract

Objective The efficacy of biologics in treating adult Still’s disease (ASD) is suggested, but the information is still lacking and the validation is insufficient. To determine the efficacy of several biologic agents in refractory ASD in Japan, a multicenter survey was performed.
Method Clinical data on 16 ASD patients who had been treated with at least 1 of the biological agents (total 24 occasions) were collected retrospectively.
Results Infliximab was used in 9 cases, etanercept in 4, and tocilizumab in 11. Half of the patients that had been treated initially with infliximab or etanercept were changed to another biologics. Tocilizumab was effective in cases switched from another 2 drugs. Tocilizumab showed efficacy in treating both systemic and arthritic symptoms and showed apparent steroid-sparing effect and the highest continuation rate.
Conclusion Tocilizumab may be a promising biologic agent in refractory ASD.

Key words

Adult Still’s disease - Multicenter study - Biologic agents - Tocilizumab