Tocilizumab in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia: real-world data from a case series

Ran Cui; Ying Zhu; Yulan Wang; Xiao-Hua Chen; Qiang Li; Sheng-Ming Dai; Qiang Tong

doi:10.2217/fvl-2020-0410

Tocilizumab in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia: real-world data from a case series

Future Virol. 2021 May:10.2217/fvl-2020-0410. doi: 10.2217/fvl-2020-0410.

Authors

Ran Cui^{1

2}, Ying Zhu³, Yulan Wang⁴, Xiao-Hua Chen^{2

5}, Qiang Li⁶, Sheng-Ming Dai¹, Qiang Tong¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
³ Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁴ Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of Cancer Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁵ Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
⁶ Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medical, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 is a life-threatening disease and how to improve survival of the patients is of great importance. Objective: To determine whether tocilizumab (TCZ) shows favorable results in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Materials & methods: A retrospective study of four patients who received TCZ was conducted from 19 February to 31 March 2020 at Leishenshan Hospital, Wuhan, China. Clinical data of patients were compared before and after the administration of the agent. Results: There was not much difference in the clinical feature improvements and computed tomography images after TCZ administration in two mild patients. The other two severe patients died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute respiratory distress syndrome, respectively. Conclusion: Administration of TCZ was not shown a favorable outcome in this preliminary uncontrolled case series.

Keywords: COVID-19; IL-6; IL-6 receptor; IL-6R antagonists; SARS-CoV-2; adverse events; cytokine release syndrome; inflammatory response; mortality; tocilizumab.

Publication types

Case Reports