ArticleEClinicalMedicine2020
Early use of low dose tocilizumab in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study with a complete follow-up.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 87 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of subcutaneous vs. intravenous tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19: a systematic review.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2024Pooled it
- Comparing the efficacy of tocilizumab with corticosteroid therapy in treating COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Tocilizumab administration for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2021Pooled it
- A meta-analysis on the risk factors adjusted association between cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 severity.BMC public health · 2021Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients: a living systematic review and meta-analysis, first update.Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases · 2021Pooled it
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors as therapeutic agents for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of infection and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Immunomodulation as Treatment for Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review of Current Modalities and Future Directions.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of tocilizumab in persons with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).Leukemia · 2021Pooled it
- Tocilizumab administration is associated with the reduction in biomarkers of coronavirus disease 2019 infection.Journal of medical virology · 2021Pooled it
- Tocilizumab for treating COVID-19: a systemic review and meta-analysis of retrospective studies.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2021Pooled it
- Optimal use of tocilizumab for severe and critical COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.F1000Research · 2021Pooled it
- Subcutaneous tocilizumab in adults with severe and critical COVID-19: A prospective open-label uncontrolled multicenter trial.International immunopharmacology · 2020Trial
- Mechanisms of vaginal bacteria-induced fetal membrane damage and tocilizumab's therapeutic potential in PPROM.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Low Dose Tocilizumab for Mitigation of Cytokine Release Syndrome With T-Cell Engaging Bispecific Antibodies.Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia · 2026Article
- Prognostic Factors in COVID-19 Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Single-Centre Experience.Infectious diseases & clinical microbiology · 2025Article
- The impact of tocilizumab treatment on the severity of inflammation and survival rates in sepsis is significantly influence by the timing of administration.Inflammopharmacology · 2025Article
- Evaluating the efficacy of different doses of tocilizumab in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients: a single-center retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Cytokine Storm in COVID-19: Exploring IL-6 Signaling and Cytokine-Microbiome Interactions as Emerging Therapeutic Approaches.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in Patients Treated with Single Infusion Tocilizumab for COVID-19: A Follow-up, Controlled Study.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2023Article
- Does timing matter on tocilizumab administration? Clinical, analytical and radiological outcomes in COVID-19.European journal of hospital pharmacy : science and practice · 2022Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
20 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPneumonia with severe respiratory failure represents the principal cause of death in COVID-19, where hyper-inflammation plays an important role in lung damage. An effective treatment aiming at reducing the inflammation without preventing virus clearance is thus urgently needed. Tocilizumab, an anti-soluble IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, has been proposed for treatment of patients with COVID-19.
methodsA retrospective cohort study at the Montichiari Hospital, Brescia, Italy, was conducted. We included consecutive patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia at the early stage of respiratory failure, all treated with a standard protocol (hydroxychloroquine 400 mg daily, lopinavir 800 mg plus ritonavir 200 mg per day). We compared survival rate and clinical status in a cohort of patients who received additional treatment with tocilizumab once (either 400 mg intravenous or 324 mg subcutaneous) with a retrospective cohort of patients who did not receive tocilizumab (referred to as the standard treatment group). All outcomes were assessed at the end of the follow-up, that correspond to death or complete recovery and discharge from the hospital.
findings158 patients were included, 90 of which received tocilizumab. 34 out of 68 (50%) patients in the standard treatment group and 7 out of 90 (7.7%) in the tocilizumab group died. Tocilizumab significantly improved survival compared to standard care (multivariate HR: 0.057; 95% C.I = 0.017- 0.187, p < 0.001). No differences between the two administration routes of tocilizumab were observed. No tocilizumab-related infections and/or side effects were observed.
interpretationEarly treatment with tocilizumab could be helpful to prevent excessive hyper-inflammation and death in COVID-19 related pneumonia. Low dose administration of tocilizumab is not associated with adverse events.
fundingnone.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.