Improvements in Intractable Lumbar and LowerExtremity Symptoms after Systemic Administration of Tocilizumab, an Anti-interleukin-6 Receptor Antibody
- Author:
Takeshi SAINOH
1
;
Takeshi SAINOH
;
Sumihisa ORITA
;
Sumihisa ORITA
;
Masayuki MIYAGI
;
Masayuki MIYAGI
;
Miyako SUZUKI-NARITA
;
Miyako SUZUKI-NARITA
;
Yoshihiro SAKUMA
;
Yoshihiro SAKUMA
;
Yasuhiro OIKAWA
;
Yasuhiro OIKAWA
;
Go KUBOTA
;
Go KUBOTA
;
Jun SATO
;
Jun SATO
;
Yasuhiro SHIGA
;
Yasuhiro SHIGA
;
Kazuki FUJIMOTO
;
Kazuki FUJIMOTO
;
Yawara EGUCHI
;
Yawara EGUCHI
;
Masao KODA
;
Masao KODA
;
Yasuchika AOKI
;
Yasuchika AOKI
;
Tsutomu AKAZAWA
;
Tsutomu AKAZAWA
;
Takeo FURUYA
;
Takeo FURUYA
;
Junichi NAKAMURA
;
Junichi NAKAMURA
;
Hiroshi TAKAHASHI
;
Hiroshi TAKAHASHI
;
Satoshi MAKI
;
Satoshi MAKI
;
Masahiro INOUE
;
Masahiro INOUE
;
Hideyuki KINOSHITA
;
Hideyuki KINOSHITA
;
Masaki NORIMOTO
;
Masaki NORIMOTO
;
Takashi SATO
;
Takashi SATO
;
Masashi SATO
;
Masashi SATO
;
Masahiro SUZUKI
;
Masahiro SUZUKI
;
Keigo ENOMOTO
;
Keigo ENOMOTO
;
Hiromitsu TAKAOKA
;
Hiromitsu TAKAOKA
;
Norichika MIZUKI
;
Norichika MIZUKI
;
Takashi HOZUMI
;
Takashi HOZUMI
;
Ryuto TSUCHIYA
;
Ryuto TSUCHIYA
;
Geundong KIM
;
Geundong KIM
;
Takuma OTAGIRI
;
Takuma OTAGIRI
;
Tomohito MUKAIHATA
;
Tomohito MUKAIHATA
;
Takahisa HISHIYA
;
Takahisa HISHIYA
;
Seiji OHTORI
;
Seiji OHTORI
;
Kazuhide INAGE
;
Kazuhide INAGE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Clinical Study
- From:Asian Spine Journal 2022;16(1):99-106
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Methods:This prospective, single-arm study included 11 patients (eight men; mean age, 62.7 years) with ≥3-months’ chronic pain history due to lumbar disease. Subcutaneous TCZ injections were administered twice, at a 2-week interval. We evaluated low back pain, leg pain, and leg numbness using numeric rating scales and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI; baseline and 6 months postinjection); serum IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels (baseline and 1 month postinjection); and clinical adverse events.
Results:Intractable symptoms reduced after TCZ administration. Low back pain improved for 6 months. Improvements in leg pain and numbness peaked at 4 and 1 month, respectively. Improvements in ODI were significant at 1 month and peaked at 4 months. Serum IL-6 was increased at 1 month. IL-6 responders (i.e., patients with IL-6 increases >10 pg/mL) showed particularly significant improvements in leg pain at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months compared with nonresponders. We observed no apparent adverse events.
Conclusions:Systemic TCZ administration improved symptoms effectively for 6 months, with peak improvements at 1–4 months and no adverse events. Changing serum IL-6 levels correlated with leg pain improvements; further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanistic connections between lumbar disorders and inflammatory cytokines.
