Journal of Peking University (Health Sciences) ›› 2020, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (6): 1056-1062. doi: 10.19723/j.issn.1671-167X.2020.06.011

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Clinical analysis of golimumab in the treatment of severe/refractory cardiovascular involvement in Behcet syndrome

Lu-xi SUN1,Jin-jing LIU1,Yun-xia HOU2,Chao-ran LI1,Lu LI1,Xin-ping TIAN1,Xiao-feng ZENG1,Wen-jie ZHENG1,()   

  1. 1. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing 100730, China
    2. Department of Rheumatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China
  • Received:2020-07-30 Online:2020-12-18 Published:2020-12-13
  • Contact: Wen-jie ZHENG E-mail:zhengwj@pumch.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(81871299)

Abstract:

Objective: To explore the effectiveness and safety of golimumab in the treatment of severe/refractory cardiovascular Behcet syndrome (BS). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of nine patients diagnosed with severe/refractory cardiovascular BS and treated with golimumab from February 2018 to July 2020 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. We analyzed levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), imaging findings, and the doses of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents during the period of combined treatment with golimumab. Results: Nine patients were enrolled, including 8 males and 1 female, with a mean age and median course of (37.0±8.6) years and 120 (60, 132) months, respectively. Seven patients presented with severe aortic regurgitation combined with other cardiovascular involvement secondary to BS. Two patients presented with large vessel involvement, including multiple aneurysms and vein thrombosis. Prior to golimumab treatment, seven patients were treated with glucocorticoids and multiple immunosuppres-sants [with a median number of 3 (1, 3) types] while still experienced disease progression or elevated inflammation biomarkers during postoperative period. Eight patients with disease progression, uncontrolled inflammation and history of severe postoperative complications required effective and fast control of inflammation during perioperative period. One patient had adverse reaction with tocilizumab and switched to golimumab during perioperative period. The patients were treated with golimumab 50 mg every 4 weeks, along with concomitant treatment of glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants. After a median follow-up of (16.3±5.6) months, all the patients achieved clinical improvement. Vascular lesions were radiologically stable and no vascular progressive or newly-onset of vascular lesions was observed. The eight patients who experienced cardiac or vascular operations showed no evidence of postoperative complications. The ESR and hsCRP levels decreased significantly [16.5 (6.8, 52.5) mm/h vs. 4 (2, 7) mm/h, and 21.24 (0.93, 32.51) mg/L vs. 0.58 (0.37, 1.79) mg/L (P<0.05), respectively]. The dose of prednisone was tapered from 35 (15, 60) mg/d to 10.0 (10.0, 12.5) mg/d. No prominent adverse reactions were observed. Conclusion: Our study suggests that golimumab is effective in the treatment of severe/refractory cardiovascular BS. Combination immunosuppression therapy with golimumab contributes to control of inflammation, reduction of postoperative complications and tapering the dose of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants.

Key words: Behcet syndrome, Golimumab, Heart valve diseases, Large vessel involvement

CLC Number: 

  • R597.9

Table 1

Clinical characteristics of BS patients with cardiac/large vessel involvement"

No. Age/
Gender
Disease
course/
years
Systemic
involvement
Vascular/cardiac
manifestations, previous
surgeries and
postoperative complications
Previous
treatment
Concomitant
therapy
Operations (with
perioperative GOL)
Duration
of GOL
treatment/
months
Follow-up/
months
Outcome
1 29/M 5 O,G,S Abdominal aortic pseudoa-neurysm, superior mesenteric aneurysm, occlusion, stenosis of the abdominal trunk GCS, CTX, THD GCS, CTX, LEF, THD Endovascular repair of aneurysm 5 18 No progression of
vascular
lesions
2 37/M 25 O,G,S,P Pulmonary aneurysm, pulmonary thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis of lower extremities - GCS, CTX Pulmonary aneurysm packing + bronchial aneurysm embolization 8 8 Reduced size of
aneurysms, no progression of vascular
lesions
3 35/M 11 O,G,S,A AR, valvular vegetation-like mobile lesions, paravalvular abscess, stenosis of lower limb arteries GCS, CTX, COL, THD, TCZ GCS, CTX, AZA, COL Bentall procedure + MVR 23 23 No PVL
4 38/M 10 O,G,S AR, paravalvular abscess GCS, CTX GCS, CTX Bentall procedure 17 17 No PVL
5 30/M 1 O,S AR, aortic dissection, aortic dilation, aneurysm of aortic sinus GCS, CTX, AZA, COL, T II GCS, CTX, AZA, T II Bentall procedure 12 16 No PVL
6 34/M 20 O AR, aortic dilation GCS, CTX, THD CTX, THD None 22 22 Relieved aortic
regurgitation,
avoided surgical
intervention
7 57/F 6 O,G,S,A AR, MR - GCS, CTX AVR 10 13 No PVL
8 31/M 3 O,S AR, MR, TR, valvular ve-getation-like mobile lesions, aortic dilation, aneurysm of aortic sinus, post-cardiac operation, PVL GCS, CTX, MTX, MMF, COL GCS, CTX, MTX, MMF, COL Bentall procedure 8 8 No PVL
9 30/M 10 O,S AR, MR, TR, paravalvular abscess, aortic dilation, post-cardiac operation, PVL twice GCS, CTX, AZA, COL, THD GCS, AZA, COL, THD Bentall procedure + MVR + TVP 6 21 No PVL

Figure 1

Changes of ESR during GOL treatment Number 1-9, the patient number; GOL, golimumab; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate."

Figure 2

Changes of hsCRP during GOL treatment Number 1-9, the patient number; GOL, golimumab; hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein."

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