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Effective use of tocilizumab for the treatment of steroid‐refractory gastrointestinal acute graft versus host disease in a child with very high levels of serum interleukin‐6
Author(s) -
Kolb Michelle,
Bhatia Monica,
Madina GayGaddi,
Satwani Prakash
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.25231
Subject(s) - medicine , tocilizumab , refractory (planetary science) , disease , gastroenterology , gastrointestinal disease , immunology , physics , astrobiology
Steroid‐refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR‐aGVHD) is associated with poor prognosis. A three year old male with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) received a 7/8 HLA‐matched unrelated bone marrow transplant. He developed grade III acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) of the gut, which was refractory to methylprednisolone and five other treatment regimens. Due to very high serum Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) levels, he received salvage therapy with tocilizumab with resolution of aGVHD. It may be reasonable to further prospectively study routine monitoring of IL‐6 levels and the use of tocilizumab in such patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:362–363. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.