{
  "abstract": "Background The proportion of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA)-related large vessel vasculitis (LVV) treated with tocilizumab (TCZ) who achieve a complete metabolic response on repeated 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18FDG-PET)-CT (PET/CT) is unknown.Methods We conducted a retrospective multicentre study that enrolled patients with GCA-related LVV demonstrated on PET/CT, who were treated with TCZ and underwent at least one repeated PET/CT. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with vascular extinction on repeated PET/CT during or after TCZ treatment (grade 0 or 1 on the visual vascular to liver FDG uptake grading scale).Results A total of 91 patients (64 women (70%), median age: 69 (54–83) years) were included. Clinical remission and a complete metabolic response on PET/CT were observed in 69 patients (76%). Among these, 30 had discontinued all GCA treatments and had not relapsed after >12 months of follow-up post negative PET/CT; the remaining 39 patients were still treated or had <12 months of follow-up after the negative PET/CT.13 (14%) patients experienced a relapse of LVV on a third PET/CT within 12 months after TCZ discontinuation. During follow-up, an aortic dilation occurred in one (1%) patient with complete metabolic extinction and in four (18%) patients who did not show complete and persisting PET/CT extinction (p=0.006 by log-rank test).Conclusion This study suggests that TCZ is an interesting therapeutic option for achieving complete metabolic response on PET/CT in patients with GCA-related LVV. The subsequent risk of aortic dilation may be reduced.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Anaël Dumont"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS UMR 6291, INSERM UMR 1087, l’institut du thorax Team III Vascular and Pulmonary Diseases, Nantes, France"
      ],
      "name": "Olivier Espitia"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Referral Center for Rare Systemic Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases, Dijon-Bourgogne University Hospital, University EPE Bourgogne Europe, Dijon, France"
      ],
      "name": "Maxime Samson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Département Médico-Universitaire INVICTUS, Lariboisière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Nord-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France"
      ],
      "name": "Chloé Comarmond-Ortoli"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France"
      ],
      "name": "Laurent Sailler"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Luc Hospital, Lyon, France"
      ],
      "name": "Emilie Berthoux"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Hôpital Bichat, Université Paris Cité, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France"
      ],
      "name": "Jean-François Alexandra"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS UMR 6291, INSERM UMR 1087, l’institut du thorax Team III Vascular and Pulmonary Diseases, Nantes, France"
      ],
      "name": "Marie Morard"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Sophie Gallou"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Rémi Philip"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Nicolas Martin-Silva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Gwénola Maigné"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Jonathan Boutemy"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Claire Delacotte"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France",
        "UNICAEN, UR4650 PSIR, CHU de Caen Normandie, Normandie Université, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Samuel Deshayes"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France",
        "UNICAEN, UR4650 PSIR, CHU de Caen Normandie, Normandie Université, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Achille Aouba"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Internal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France",
        "UNICAEN, UR4650 PSIR, CHU de Caen Normandie, Normandie Université, Caen, France"
      ],
      "name": "Hubert de Boysson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [],
      "name": "for the French Study Group for Large Vessel Vasculitis (GEFA)"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Complete PET/CT extinction and subsequent risk of aortic dilation in patients with giant cell arteritis-related large vessel vasculitis treated with tocilizumab",
  "uid": "f510efc8-e99d-5d2f-ba69-54c8b77fa4bd"
}