title: Weight change during pharmacological blockade of interleukin-6 or tumor necrosis factor-α in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disorders: a 16-week comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin (IL)-6 -/- mice develop spontaneous mature onset obesity, while the influence of the pharmacological blockade of IL-6 on body weight in humans has not been previously reported. The aim of the present study was to observe weight change in patients treated with tocilizumab (TCZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one consecutive patients who started new treatment with TCZ were enrolled in the study. Sixteen consecutive patients who started treatment with infliximab (IFX) formed the control group. Height and weight of all patients were registered and Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated before the first treatment and at week 16. The Mann-Whitney or paired Wilcoxon test were used for comparisons between or within groups, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study demonstrated that treatment with TCZ was accompanied with significant weight gain and BMI increase (p=0.04), while IFX treatment did not result in any significant weight change during the 16-week period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight gain can be seen in some patients during the pharmacological blockade of IL-6. The phenomenon and metabolic pathways involved should be further investigated.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Younis
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rimar
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boulman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozenbaum
authors.forename: Majed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odeh
authors.forename: Gleb
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slobodin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069285:Infliximab; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects; D000093242:Interleukin-6 Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069285:Infliximab; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000093242:Interleukin-6 Inhibitors; C502936:tocilizumab