Changes in the molecular profiles of large-vessel vasculitis treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and Janus kinase inhibitors

Perioperative Management of Takayasu Arteritis for Cardiac Surgery - Review and Single-Center Experience

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is classified as a large vessel vasculitis and often causes vascular stenosis, occlusion, and aneurysm formation. Although the principal treatment for TAK involves suppressing inflammation with glucocorticoids, the emergence of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs has considerably changed the treatment landscape of TAK in recent years. Several biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, such as tocilizumab (TCZ), have shown promising effects on TAK in clinical studies. Cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons encounter patients receiving these drugs who require catheterization, endovascular treatment, or cardiovascular surgery. However, in patients treated with glucocorticoids and TCZ, there needs to be greater awareness of more complications than usual after surgery, such as delayed wound healing, systemic infection, and surgical site infection. In addition, in patients receiving TCZ, inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein, may not increase when complications arise from infection. Unfortunately, there are no guidelines or solid evidence that have clearly defined the optimal perioperative treatment strategy for patients with TAK who require cardiovascular surgery. This article reviews the evidence and our recent experience supporting the perioperative use of TCZ, and proposes a protocol that can reduce complications in patients with TAK undergoing invasive cardiovascular treatment.

Baricitinib for refractory Takayasu arteritis: a prospective cohort study in a tertiary referral centre

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the treatment efficacy and safety of baricitinib in patients with refractory Takayasu arteritis (TAK).

METHODS

We performed a prospective cohort study in which baricitinib 4 mg daily was prescribed to patients with refractory TAK, combined with oral glucocorticoids (GCs).

RESULTS

10 patients with refractory TAK were enrolled with a median age of 28 (IQR=22-37) years, median disease duration of 50 (IQR=24-65) months. The median dose of GCs was 10 (IQR=8.1-22.5) mg prednisone or equivalence dosage at baseline. At 6 months of baricitinib treatment, 6/10 (60%) patients had an overall treatment response. During an average follow-up of 15.3 (range 4-31) months, 4/10 (40%) patients maintained overall treatment response. 8/10 (80%) patients tapered or maintained the same dose of GCs with no change of the combined classical synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Two patients discontinued GCs at 18 and 24 months and were in continuous remission till the end of the study. One patient withdrew baricitinib due to liver dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

Baricitinib 4 mg daily is effective for refractory TAK and is well tolerated.