Medically-attended anxiety and depression is increased among newly diagnosed patients with cold agglutinin disease: Analysis of an integrated claim-clinical cohort in the United States.

Background: Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is a rare, chronic form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Clinical manifestations can include classical complement pathway-mediated chronic hemolysis, anemia, and profound fatigue. Research has shown that patients with other anemias may develop anxiety and depression, but this has not been studied previously in patients with CAD.

Differential Binding of Sarilumab and Tocilizumab to IL-6Rα and Effects of Receptor Occupancy on Clinical Parameters.

We evaluated interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-α subunit (IL-6Rα) signaling inhibition with sarilumab and tocilizumab, the association between IL-6Rα receptor occupancy (RO) and C-reactive protein (CRP), and the potential clinical relevance of any differences. For this, we measured IL-6Rα binding and signaling inhibition with sarilumab and tocilizumab in vitro, simulated soluble IL-6Rα RO over time for approved sarilumab subcutaneous (SC) and tocilizumab intravenous (IV) and SC doses, and assessed associations between calculated RO and CRP reduction, 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on CRP, and 20%/50%/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology responses from clinical data. Sarilumab binds IL-6Rα in vitro with 15- to 22-fold higher affinity than tocilizumab, and inhibits IL-6-mediated classical and trans signaling via membrane-bound and soluble IL-6Rα.

Interleukin-6 receptor blockade or TNFα inhibition for reducing glycaemia in patients with RA and diabetes: post hoc analyses of three randomised, controlled trials.

Background: Diabetes is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Interleukin (IL)-6 is implicated in both the pathogenesis of RA and in glucose homeostasis; this post hoc analysis investigated the effects of IL-6 receptor vs. tumour necrosis factor inhibition on glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients with RA with or without diabetes.

Real-World Dose Modification Patterns of Subcutaneous Tocilizumab Among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background: The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is based on the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Tocilizumab can be used as monotherapy or in combination with conventional synthetic DMARDs for the treatment of moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis. Subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous forms of the drug are available, but the SC form is more widely used.