Sustained Remission with Tocilizumab in Refractory Relapsing Polychondritis with Ocular Involvement: A Case Series

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2021 Jan 2;29(1):9-13. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2020.1763405. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Abstract

Objective: Describe our experience with tocilizumab in the treatment of refractory relapsing polychondritis with ocular involvement.Methods: Retrospective consecutive interventional case series that included all patients that received tocilizumab for the treatment of relapsing polychondritis with ocular manifestations.Results: Three cases were selected and the duration of tocilizumab treatment ranged from 1 to 2 years. One of our patients received tocilizumab as a first-line immunosuppressive treatment directly after prednisone. All achieved complete response to tocilizumab 1 month after treatment initiation. No advert events were reported during the follow-up period except for transient neutropenia without any associated infection.Conclusion: Our three cases suggest that tocilizumab may be an effective and safe treatment for ocular manifestation associated with relapsing polychondritis.

Keywords: Relapsing polychondritis; anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody; scleritis; tocilizumab; uveitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polychondritis, Relapsing / complications
  • Polychondritis, Relapsing / diagnosis
  • Polychondritis, Relapsing / drug therapy*
  • Remission Induction / methods*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Scleritis / diagnosis
  • Scleritis / drug therapy*
  • Scleritis / etiology
  • Slit Lamp Microscopy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • tocilizumab