ArticleEULAR rheumatology open2026
Early C-reactive protein and ferritin kinetics after tocilizumab initiation predict macrophage activation syndrome in Still disease: a single-centre retrospective cohort study.
Article in EULAR rheumatology open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of tocilizumab (TCZ) as induction therapy in Still disease and identify early dynamic biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin changes, for macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) risk stratification. Methods: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included patients with Still disease treated from 2004 to 2024. Patients were classified by induction therapy (TCZ vs non-TCZ). MAS was defined using the 2016 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology/American College of Rheumatology/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation criteria. Early biomarker changes after prednisolone initiation were evaluated. Primary outcomes were week-4 CRP normalisation and clinically inactive disease (CID) at month 3. Associations with induction therapy were analysed using Firth's penalised logistic regression. In TCZ-treated patients, receiver operating characteristic analyses assessed laboratory biomarkers for MAS prediction. Results: Among 54 patients, 12 received TCZ as initial induction therapy and 7 for relapse (19 episodes). MAS occurred in 5 episodes (26.3%). No significant differences were observed in week-4 CRP normalisation (75.0% vs 51.2%, Conclusions: Early TCZ exposure was independently associated with CID at month 3. Insufficient early suppression of inflammatory markers, particularly higher ferritin and CRP ratios, may identify patients at higher risk of subsequent MAS.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.