Trial reportArthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)2019
Glucocorticoid Dosages and Acute-Phase Reactant Levels at Giant Cell Arteritis Flare in a Randomized Trial of Tocilizumab.
Trial report in Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Biologic therapies for the treatment of large vessel vasculitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Evidence on treat to target strategies in polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: a systematic literature review.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2024Pooled it
- Treat-to-target recommendations in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Tocilizumab for giant cell arteritis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Tocilizumab for giant cell arteritis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Concordance and agreement between different activity scores in polymyalgia rheumatica.RMD open · 2024Trial
- Efficacy and safety of mavrilimumab in giant cell arteritis: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2022Trial
- Treatment failure in giant cell arteritis.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2021Trial
- Current and Future Treatments for Takayasu Arteritis: Toward Cardiovascular Risk Modification.Circulation · 2026Review
- Choroidal thickness as a biomarker of inflammatory activity in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica receiving anti-IL-6 treatment.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Beyond clinical criteria: emerging biomarkers and advanced imaging in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of vasculitides.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Immediate versus gradual TocilizuBMJ open · 2025Article
- Longitudinal changes on cranial magnetic resonance imaging in relapsing giant cell arteritis.Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism · 2025Article
- A coding single nucleotide polymorphism in the interleukin-6 receptor enhances IL-6 signalling in CD4 T cells and predicts treatment response to tocilizumab in giant cell arteritis.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2025Article
- Prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with low baseline C-reactive protein in giant cell arteritis.Arthritis research & therapy · 2025Observational
- Efficacy and Safety of Biological Agents in Giant Cell Arteritis: An Updated Meta-Analysis.Avicenna journal of medicine · 2025Review
- Choroidal thickness as a biomarker of systemic inflammation in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Treatment and risk of relapse in GCA in Western Norway 2013-2020: a retrospective cohort study.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study was undertaken to evaluate glucocorticoid dosages and serologic findings in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) flares.
methodsPatients with GCA were randomly assigned to receive double-blind dosing with either subcutaneous tocilizumab (TCZ) 162 mg weekly plus 26-week prednisone taper (TCZ-QW + Pred-26), every-other-week TCZ plus 26-week prednisone taper (TCZ-Q2W + Pred-26), placebo plus 26-week prednisone taper (PBO + Pred-26), or placebo plus 52-week prednisone taper (PBO + Pred-52). Outcome measures were prednisone dosage, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at the time of flare.
resultsOne hundred patients received TCZ-QW + Pred-26, 49 received TCZ-Q2W + Pred-26, 50 received PBO + Pred-26, and 51 received PBO + Pred-52. Of the 149 TCZ-treated patients, 36 (24%) experienced flare, 23 (64%) of whom were still receiving prednisone (median dosage 2.0 mg/day). Among 101 PBO + Pred-treated patients, 59 (58%) experienced flare, 45 (76%) of whom were receiving prednisone (median dosage 5.0 mg/day). Many flares occurred while patients were taking >10 mg/day prednisone: 9 (25%) in the TCZ groups and 13 (22%) in the placebo groups. Thirty-three flares (92%) in TCZ-treated groups and 20 (34%) in PBO + Pred-treated groups occurred with normal CRP levels. More than half of the PBO + Pred-treated patients had elevated CRP levels without flares. Benefits of the TCZ and prednisone combination over prednisone alone for remission induction were apparent by 8 weeks.
conclusionMost GCA flares occurred while patients were still receiving prednisone. Acute-phase reactant levels were not reliable indicators of flare in patients treated with TCZ plus prednisone or with prednisone alone. The addition of TCZ to prednisone facilitates earlier GCA control.
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