eprintid: 10203111 rev_number: 10 eprint_status: archive userid: 699 dir: disk0/10/20/31/11 datestamp: 2025-01-10 11:12:10 lastmod: 2025-01-10 11:12:10 status_changed: 2025-01-10 11:12:10 type: article metadata_visibility: show sword_depositor: 699 creators_name: Goldman, Nina R creators_name: Nihtyanova, Svetlana I creators_name: Beesley, Claire F creators_name: Wells, Athol U creators_name: Denton, Christopher P creators_name: Renzoni, Elisabetta A creators_name: Mageed, Rizgar creators_name: Ong, Voon H title: Tocilizumab and rituximab for systemic sclerosis interstitial lung disease: a real-world cohort analysis ispublished: inpress divisions: UCL divisions: B02 divisions: C10 divisions: D17 divisions: G90 keywords: Anti-topoisomerase antibody, Interstitial lung disease, Rituximab, Systemic Sclerosis, Tocilizumab note: © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). abstract: OBJECTIVES: Systemic sclerosis (SSc)-interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in SSc. Data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) supports rituximab and tocilizumab monotherapy but there is limited data regarding their use for those who fail standard immunomodulatory therapies. METHODS: SSc patients treated with rituximab or tocilizumab were retrospectively identified in a single centre cohort. Linear mixed effect models were used to analyse before and after treatment lung function trajectory and identify patient characteristics associated with treatment response. RESULTS: 127 patients were included for analysis. 51 of 94 (51.4%) and 13 of 33 (39.4%) of the rituximab and tocilizumab cohorts respectively were receiving concurrent mycophenolate mofetil. Pre-treatment decline in absolute change %FVC/year and %DLCO/year respectively, was similar in both cohorts (-3.2% and -4.0% rituximab and -3.2% and -3.6% tocilizumab). Both treatments resulted in lung function stabilisation (%FVC/year and %DLCO/year: 1.2% and +0.2% rituximab cohort, 1.0% and 1.0% tocilizumab cohort). Anti-topoisomerase antibody (ATA) positive patients had a significant response on %FVC/year to tocilizumab compared with ATA negative patients. Gender had a significant impact on %FVC/year response to rituximab, with males responding to a greater degree than females. Age, ILD extent and skin subset had no impact on treatment response. CONCLUSION: Combination rituximab or tocilizumab with background immunosuppressive therapy is associated with stabilisation in lung function trajectory among those who remain refractory to standard immunosuppressives. Specific patient characteristics have an impact on lung function response. Improved FVC response among ATA patients receiving tocilizumab validate data from RCTs. date: 2025-01-03 date_type: published publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP) official_url: https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keaf006 oa_status: green full_text_type: other language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 2346605 doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf006 medium: Print-Electronic pii: 7942510 lyricists_name: Denton, Christopher lyricists_name: Ong, Voon lyricists_name: Beesley, Claire lyricists_id: CPDEN87 lyricists_id: VONGX45 lyricists_id: CFBEE41 actors_name: Denton, Christopher actors_id: CPDEN87 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public publication: Rheumatology event_location: England citation: Goldman, Nina R; Nihtyanova, Svetlana I; Beesley, Claire F; Wells, Athol U; Denton, Christopher P; Renzoni, Elisabetta A; Mageed, Rizgar; Goldman, Nina R; Nihtyanova, Svetlana I; Beesley, Claire F; Wells, Athol U; Denton, Christopher P; Renzoni, Elisabetta A; Mageed, Rizgar; Ong, Voon H; - view fewer <#> (2025) Tocilizumab and rituximab for systemic sclerosis interstitial lung disease: a real-world cohort analysis. Rheumatology 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf006 <https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology%2Fkeaf006>. (In press). Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203111/1/Denton_Tocilizumab%20and%20rituximab%20for%20systemic%20sclerosis%20interstitial%20lung%20disease_AAM2.pdf