Biologicals targeting the interleukin (IL)-1β or IL-6 pathway are becoming prime choices for the treatment of children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA).
We quantified serum cytokine levels (sCD163, neopterin, IL-18, IL-6) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared the results with the clinical features of s-JIA.
Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody and IL-6 receptor antagonist, currently approved for the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) in children aged 2 years or older refractory to conventional treatment.
Around 40% of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) in Thailand is steroid dependent or fails to respond to conventional therapy; therefore, tocilizumab (TCZ), a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, was indicated in these patients.
The article then explores the advantages and disadvantages of using TCZ when compared to other biologics approved in RA, sJIA and pJIA and finally looks ahead to the future and the emerging role of IL-6 and its blockade by TCZ as a treatment for giant cell arteritis (GCA), polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and large vessel vasculitis (LVV).
Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is associated with high levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the serum and synovial fluid, and impairment of natural killer (NK) cell function is often observed.
Increased IL-6 levels are also observed in several diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic-onset juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), osteoporosis, and psoriasis.
The abnormalities of the IGF-I system observed in the IL-6 transgenic mice are similar to those found in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, one of the chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by stunted growth and prominent production of IL-6.
The effect of novel polymorphisms in the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene on IL-6 transcription and plasma IL-6 levels, and an association with systemic-onset juvenile chronic arthritis.