Abstract
We treated 63 rheumatioid arthritis patients with tocilizumab and clinically evaluated the efficacy. We analyzed c-reactive protain (CRP), MMP-3, total cholesterol, trigriceride and the disease activity score (DAS) 28 after using tocilizumab up to 14 weeks. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured at 0, 4, 8, 12 weeks in 8 patients. We found that CRP and DAS28 at 2 weeks were not correlated significantly, but were significantly correlated at 4 weeks. Within 2 weeks after administering tocilizumab there was therefore dissociation between DAS28 and CRP, which however recovered at 4 weeks. DAS28 and MMP-3 were significantly well correlated at 4 weeks after tocilizumab administration. Higher MMP-3 levels demonstrated higher DAS28 values even when CRP was negative. IL-6 increased at 4 weeks but decreased thereafter. TNF-α decreased at 4 weeks which was maintained to 12 weeks after using tocilizumab. Therefore MMP-3 levels can demonstrate DAS28 values better than CRP during treatment of tocilizumab. Serum IL-6 concentration may be associated with DAS28 which is correlated with MMP-3.
