This study corroborates previous findings of high relapse rates after cessation of 12 months of TCZ therapy.
Almost half of the patients experienced disease relapses within two years.
Why some patients get autoimmune diseases, including vasculitis, is still not well understood.
Besides genetic predisposition (in the case of GCA HLA-DR4), infections have been associated with different autoimmune diseases.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of subclinical giant cell arteritis (GCA) in polymyalgia (PMR) and to determine the optimal treatment approach.
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) often relapses when the glucocorticoid (GC) dose is reduced.
Traditionally, methotrexate (MTX) is then used as a GC-sparing measure.
Interleukin-6 is often understood as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, similar to TNFa and IL-1b.
This is not correct, as IL-6 also triggers inflammation-limiting mechanisms, such as the expression of the Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases (TIMP).
Despite a significant improvement in outcome through the use of glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide, relapses in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) remain a major problem.
