Remission of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Primary Biliary Cholangitis After Treatment With Tocilizumab

Soraia Azevedo; Joana Sousa-Neves; Joana Ramos Rodrigues; Daniela Peixoto; José Tavares-Costa; Filipa Teixeira

doi:10.1016/j.reuma.2020.04.014

Remission of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Primary Biliary Cholangitis After Treatment With Tocilizumab

Reumatol Clin (Engl Ed). 2021 Jun-Jul;17(6):364-365. doi: 10.1016/j.reuma.2020.04.014. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

[Article in English, Spanish]

Authors

Soraia Azevedo¹, Joana Sousa-Neves², Joana Ramos Rodrigues³, Daniela Peixoto³, José Tavares-Costa³, Filipa Teixeira³

Affiliations

¹ Rheumatology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, Ponte de Lima, Portugal. Electronic address: soraia.azevedo@ulsam.min-saude.pt.
² Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Braga, Portugal.
³ Rheumatology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, Ponte de Lima, Portugal.

PMID: 32571731
DOI: 10.1016/j.reuma.2020.04.014

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by synovitis of multiple joints which if untreated progresses to joint destruction. Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune and progressive disease of the liver of unknown origin. About 1.8-5.6% of individuals with PBC have RA and patients with RA are at higher risk of developing PBC compared to the general population. We report a case of a 76-year-old man, with a history of PBC, and a recent RA diagnosis, in which tocilizumab therapy was effective in the control of RA and PBC, and a literature review was performed. This case, along with only one case published in literature in which tocilizumab was used in the treatment of RA and PBC, suggests that tocilizumab may be effective and safe in the treatment of RA in patients with PBC. Inhibition of IL-6 may also be effective in PBC treatment.

Keywords: Artritis reumatoide; Colangitis biliar primaria; IL-6; Primary biliary cholangitis; Rheumatoid arthritis; Tocilizumab.

Publication types

Case Reports