Aortitis in Giant Cell Arteritis Treated with Tocilizumab Save

The The Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis Spanish Collaborative Group studied giant cell arteritis (GCA) with aortitis, comparing the efficacy of intravenous (IV) vs. subcutaneously (SC) Tocilizumab (TCZ) - demonstrating the superiority of SC TCZ.   

In GCA patients, aortitis is a severe manifestation, potentially leading to aneurysms and aortic dissection. 

Multicenter observational study included 196 patients with GCA-associated aortitis documented. Aortitis was identified using 18F-FDG PET/CT scan. 

In this real world trial, a total Of 196 patients (148 women; mean age 70 years) were randominzed, 110 received IV TCZ and 86 SC TCZ. 

While 24-months EULAR remission rate was significantly higher in the TCZ SC group (83.3% vs 80.6%; p<0.05), no between group differences were seen for imaging remission, glucocorticoid-sparing effect or the absence of systemic inflammation.