Characteristics of the patients
| n=13 | Patients | Mean±SD | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||
| Age, years* | 56 | 59 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 71 | 74 | 76 | 80 | 83 | 84 | 86 | 87 | 73.2±10.4 |
| Sex (female, n (%)) | F | F | M | F | M | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | 11 (84.6) |
| Body weight, kg* | 54 | 55 | 66 | 45 | 76 | 52 | 45 | 52 | 33 | 40 | 45 | 60 | 59 | 52.4±10.9 |
| Disease duration, months* | 4.0 | 7.0 | 23.0 | 16.0 | 1.0 | 34.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 65.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 5.5 | 18.0 | 15.0±17.8 |
| Duration of morning stiffness, min* | 30 | 360 | 180 | 1440 | 180 | ND | 300 | 30 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 220±441 |
| Patient-Pain, VAS (0–100), mm* | 54 | 83 | 25 | 55 | 31 | ND | 34 | 10 | 92 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 49 | 36.2±23.8 |
| Patient-GA, VAS (0–100), mm* | 54 | 74 | 33 | 43 | 62 | ND | 38 | 20 | 90 | 13 | 20 | 42 | 76 | 43.7±25.3 |
| Physician-GA VAS (0–100), mm* | 38 | 76 | 7 | 2 | 24 | ND | 35 | 21 | 93 | 40 | 33 | 48 | 42 | 34.5±25.4 |
| HAQ-DI* | 0.375 | 2.375 | 0.125 | 1 | 0.625 | ND | 0.125 | 0 | 2.75 | 1.25 | 0 | 0.125 | 0 | 0.73±0.95 |
| ESR, mm/h* | 21 | 85 | 20 | 99 | 46 | 46 | 40 | 19 | 71 | 98 | 19 | 61 | 22 | 49.7±30.4 |
| CRP, mg/dL* | 1.8 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 14.7 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.34±3.83 |
| Previous therapies | PSL, MTX | PSL, MTX | PSL, MTX, IFX | PSL, SASP | PSL, MTX | PSL, MZB, TAC | PSL | PSL, MTX | PSL | PSL, MTX | PSL, MTX | PSL | PSL | |
| Number of relapses before TCZ start | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Reasons for start of TCZ | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Lack of initial response | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | Relapse | |
| MTX dose, mg/week* | 6 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4.5±4.5 |
| MTX dose at the last observation, mg/week | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5±2.6 |
| PSL dose, mg/day* | 5 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 7.5 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 6.1±4.1 |
| PSL dose at the last observation, mg/day | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.9±1.6 |
| Time from TCZ start to disappearance of proximal muscle pain, week | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 7.8±5.7 |
| Time from TCZ start to GC discontinuation, week | – | 12 | 40 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 4 | 12 | 2 | – | 16 | |
| Length of TCZ treatment (length of follow-up), week | 12 | 12 | 96 | 28 | 32 | 56 | 20 | 56 | 96 | 28 | 48 | 48 | 32 | 43.4±25.9 |
| PSL-tapering rate, mg/day per 4 weeks | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.3±0.7 |
| GC-related comorbidities | OP | DysL, HTN | HTN, OP | OP | DM | DysL, HTN, OP | HTN, OP | HTN, OP | DM, OP | OP | DM, Gla, HTN, OP | HTN, OP | OP | |
| Complications associated with TCZ | – | – | – | Phlegmon | – | – | – | – | – | Thrombocytopenia | – | Legs oedema, leukopenia | – | |
*The data were at the initiation of TCZ.
CRP, C reactive protein; DM, diabetes mellitus; DysL, dyslipidaemia; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GA, global assessment; GC, glucocorticoid; Gla, glaucoma; HAQ-DI, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index; HTN, hypertension; IFX, infliximab; MTX, methotrexate; MZB, mizoribine; ND, no data; OP, osteoporosis; PSL, prednisolone; SASP, salazosulfapyridine; TAC, tacrolimus; TCZ, tocilizumab; VAS, visual analogue scale.