Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33752737›Full record

Observational studyArthritis research & therapy2021

Vision loss in patients with giant cell arteritis treated with tocilizumab.

Jennifer Amsler, Iveta Kysela, Christoph Tappeiner, Luca Seitz, Lisa Christ, Godehard Scholz, Odile Stalder, Florian Kollert, Stephan Reichenbach, Peter M Villiger

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Arthritis research & therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Predictors of Permanent Vision Loss in Giant Cell Arteritis.Neuro-ophthalmology (Aeolus Press) · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Advances in the Treatment of Giant Cell Arteritis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Interdisciplinary approach in the management of visual loss in giant cell arteritis.Saudi journal of ophthalmology : official journal of the Saudi Ophthalmological Society
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Jennifer Amsler *Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Iveta Kysela *Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Christoph TappeinerDepartment of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Luca SeitzDepartment of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Lisa ChristDepartment of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Godehard ScholzDepartment of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Odile StalderClinical Trial Unit (CTU), Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Florian KollertDepartment of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Stephan ReichenbachDepartment of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Peter M VilligerDepartment of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. peter.villiger@hin.ch.ORCID 0000-0002-8859-9964
University of Bern · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesGiant cell arteritis (GCA) may lead to vision loss. To what extent tocilizumab (TCZ) is able to prevent vision loss is unknown. The aim was to analyze the occurrence of vision loss in a large GCA cohort treated with TCZ.

methodsIn this observational monocentric study, GCA patients treated with TCZ between the years 2010 and 2018 were studied. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were analyzed.

resultsA total of 186 patients were included (62% female); 109 (59%) fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, in 123 (66%) patients, large vessel vasculitis was diagnosed by magnetic resonance-angiography (MRA). Cumulative duration of TCZ treatment was 224 years, median treatment duration was 11.1 (IQR 5.6-17.9) months. Glucocorticoids (GC) were tapered over a median of 5.8 (IQR 3.0-8.5) months. At baseline, visual symptoms were present in 70 (38%) and vision loss in 21 (11%) patients. Patients with vision loss at baseline were older (p = 0.032), had a lower C-reactive protein (p = 0.002), and showed a negative association with MRA of the aorta (p = 0.006). Two patients (1.1%) developed vision loss, both at the initiation of TCZ treatment.

conclusionOur data show a very low incidence of vision loss in TCZ-treated patient. The two cases of AION occurred at the initiation of therapy, they support the hypothesis that advanced, and established structural changes of arteries are key factors for this accident. Whether a shorter duration of concomitant GC treatment is risky regarding vision loss needs to be studied.

Indexed as

Giant Cell ArteritisAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedFemaleGlucocorticoidsHumansMaleTreatment OutcomeAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedGlucocorticoidstocilizumabAnterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION)Giant cell arteritisGlucocorticoidsTocilizumabVision loss

Identifiers

PMID33752737
PMCPMC7983214
OpenAlexW3138538725

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.