Evaluation of pediatric patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with biological therapy tocilizumab (actemra)
Journal
Архиви на јавно здравје = Archives of public health
Date Issued
2021-10-06
Author(s)
Neshkovska Shumenkovska Marija
Gjurkova-Angelovska Beti
Jovanovska Valentina
DOI
10.3889/aph.2021.6016
Abstract
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic disease in childhood. It manifests a heterogenic group of symptoms of arthritis, lasting at least 6 weeks and it appears before the age of 16. Patients who had no good therapeutic response to conventional therapy with Methotrexate were treated with biological therapy. The aim of this paper was to evaluate 9 patients who were receiving Tocilizumab at the Department of Rheumocariology, University Clinic of Pediatric Diseases in Skopje. Materials and methods: Our study included 9 patients treated at our Department with biological therapy with Tocilizumab. Prior to initiation of the biological therapy, all patients underwent laboratory investigations, purified protein derivate (PPD) skin test for tuberculosis, X ray of the lungs and heart, and analysis of hepatitis markers. All patients were treated with amp. Actemra( Tocilizumab) 8mg/kg /tt i.v. Two of the patients had a severe form of the disease (one with severe systemic form and one with severe oligoarticular form of JIA). All presented patients had clinical remission of the disease. Conclusion: Therapy with tocilizumab in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a good therapeutic choice. The results obtained in our study have shown a significant therapeutic effect of tocilizumab even in severe forms of the disease