title: Therapeutic response of patients with adult Still's disease to biologic agents: multicenter results in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The efficacy of biologics in treating adult Still's disease (ASD) is suggested, but the information is still lacking and the validation is insufficient. To determine the efficacy of several biologic agents in refractory ASD in Japan, a multicenter survey was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data on 16 ASD patients who had been treated with at least 1 of the biological agents (total 24 occasions) were collected retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infliximab was used in 9 cases, etanercept in 4, and tocilizumab in 11. Half of the patients that had been treated initially with infliximab or etanercept were changed to another biologics. Tocilizumab was effective in cases switched from another 2 drugs. Tocilizumab showed efficacy in treating both systemic and arthritic symptoms and showed apparent steroid-sparing effect and the highest continuation rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tocilizumab may be a promising biologic agent in refractory ASD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga University School of Medicine, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan. suematsu@cc.saga-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suematsu
authors.forename: Akihide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Emi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minota
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishigatsubo
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: Hisako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Syuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koarada
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D057915:Drug Substitution; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069285:Infliximab; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016706:Still's Disease, Adult-Onset / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D000069285:Infliximab; C502936:tocilizumab; D000068800:Etanercept