Subcutaneous Tocilizumab in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Associated Uveitis

AimTo describe the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous tocilizumab (SC-TCZ) in a cohort of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients with refractory uveitis.MethodsRetrospective observational monocentric study including patients with JIA-associated uveitis treated with SC-TCZ.ResultsThirteen patients were enrolled. The rate of uveitis flare/year per each patient was 1.6 +/- 2.0 on the last bDMARDs before SC-TCZ, while it decreased to 0.4 +/- 0.7 on SC-TCZ. Nine out of thirteen patients (69%) required the introduction of SC-TCZ only for active uveitis at baseline. Among these patients, five (56%) achieved complete treatment response. No uveitis relapses were observed in patients (4/13, 31%) requiring the introduction of SC-TCZ for active arthritis during follow-up (30.48 +/- 21.6 months). Overall, SC-TCZ was safe, and no side effects were observed during the treatment.ConclusionSC-TCZ can be effective and safe in patients with JIA and uveitis recalcitrant to several bDMARDs.

Automated summary

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous tocilizumab in JIA patients with refractory uveitis. The results showed that SC-TCZ significantly reduced the rate of uveitis flare and achieved complete treatment response in some patients. Moreover, SC-TCZ was well-tolerated without any observed side effects.