The IL-6 axis in vascular inflammation: effects of IL-6 receptor blockade on vascular lesions from patients with giant-cell arteritis.

Objectives: Blocking interleukin (IL)-6-receptor with tocilizumab has been a major advance in the treatment of giant-cell arteritis (GCA), supporting a crucial role of IL-6 receptor signalling. However, nearly half of the patients are not able to maintain glucocorticoid- free remission with tocilizumab. The impact of tocilizumab on vascular lesions of GCA is largely unknown since conflicting results have been obtained by imaging.

Bariatric Surgery Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Obesity increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), which has a major negative impact on global health. Bariatric surgery (BS) has demonstrated a substantial improvement of obesity-related comorbidities and thus, it has emerged as a potential therapeutic tool in order to prevent end-stage renal disease. A limited number of publications to date have examined the beneficial effects and risks of BS in patients with non-advanced stages of CKD.

Bariatric Surgery Outcomes in Patients with Kidney Transplantation.

Unlabelled: Obesity and kidney transplantation (KTx) are closely related. Obesity increases the risk of chronic kidney disease and can be a relative contraindication for KTx. Besides, KTx recipients are predisposed to obesity and its comorbidities.