Rilonacept: A Newly Approved Treatment for Recurrent Pericarditis

2021 ◽  
pp. 106002802110364
Author(s):  
Nicholas C. Schwier

Objective To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of rilonacept for the prevention and treatment of recurrent pericarditis (RP). Data Sources A MEDLINE search was conducted between January 2006 and April 2021 using the following terms: rilonacept, pharmacology, pericarditis, recurrent pericarditis, interleukin (IL) antagonist, and pharmacology; prescribing information was also used. Study Selection and Data Extraction English-language studies assessing pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of IL antagonists were reviewed. Data Synthesis Rilonacept traps IL-1α and IL-1β. In the Phase III trial, rilonacept was associated with a lower risk of recurrence, more persistent clinical response, and higher amount of days with no or minimal pericarditis symptoms, compared with placebo. The median time to pain response was 5 days, and median time to normalization of C-reactive protein was 7 days with rilonacept. All patients receiving rilonacept during the run-in period were able to be weaned off of standard background therapy, leading to transition to rilonacept monotherapy. The most common adverse effects were upper respiratory tract infections and injection site reactions. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice Rilonacept may be used for the prevention and treatment of multiple recurrences in patients receiving background therapy for RP, and reduction in risk of recurrence in adults and adolescents ≥12 years with elevated C-reactive protein. Rilonacept may be considered to wean patients from standard background therapy. Conclusion Rilonacept is a safe, once weekly, subcutaneously administered IL-1 “trap,” indicated for the treatment of RP, and reduction in risk of recurrent pericarditis in adults and children ≥12 years of age.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Christine Bay-Jensen ◽  
Asger Bihlet ◽  
Inger Byrjalsen ◽  
Jeppe Ragnar Andersen ◽  
Bente Juhl Riis ◽  
...  

AbstractThe heterogeneous nature of osteoarthritis (OA) and the need to subtype patients is widely accepted in the field. The biomarker CRPM, a metabolite of C-reactive protein (CRP), is released to the circulation during inflammation. Blood CRPM levels have shown to be associated with disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the level of blood CRPM in OA compared to RA using data from two phase III knee OA and two RA studies (N = 1591). Moreover, the association between CRPM levels and radiographic progression was investigated. The mean CRPM levels were significantly lower in OA (8.5 [95% CI 8.3–8.8] ng/mL, n = 781) compared to the RA patients (12.8 [9.5–16.0] ng/mL, n = 60); however, a significant subset of OA patients (31%) had CRPM levels (≥ 9 ng/mL) comparable to RA. Furthermore, OA patients (n = 152) with CRPM levels ≥ 9 ng/mL were more likely to develop contra-lateral knee OA assessed by X-ray over a two-year follow-up period with an odds ratio of 2.2 [1.0–4.7]. These data suggest that CRPM is a blood-based biochemical marker for early identification OA patients with an inflammatory phenotype.


2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (02) ◽  
pp. 245-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Horan ◽  
Charles Francis ◽  
Ann Falsey ◽  
John Kolassa ◽  
Brian Smith ◽  
...  

SummaryMortality rates attributable to cerebrovascular and ischemic heart disease increase among older adults during the winter. Prothrombotic changes in the hemostatic system related to seasonal factors, such as ambient temperature changes, and winter acute respiratory tract infections, may contribute to this excess seasonal mortality. A prospective nested case-control study was conducted to assess the impact of winter acute respiratory tract infections on fibrinogen, factor VII, factor VIIa, D-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1.2, PAI-1, soluble P-selectin and C-reactive protein (CRP) in older adults. The change in laboratory parameters from baseline (fall) to the time of infection in both middle-aged and elderly individuals was compared with matched non-infected controls. In older adult participants with winter acute respiratory tract infections, significant increases occurred in fibrinogen and C-reactive protein, but not in any other markers. The mean fibrinogen increased 1.52 g/L (38%) and the mean CRP increased 37 mg/L (370%) over baseline (both p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, both infection and season were associated with the increase in fibrinogen, but only infection was associated with the CRP increase. Old age magnified the increase in CRP but not in fibrinogen. Winter acute respiratory tract infections induce an exaggerated inflammatory response in older adults. The associated increase in fibrinogen, an independent risk factor for ischemic heart disease, may be partly responsible for the excess winter vascular mortality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S16-S16
Author(s):  
Sara Kim ◽  
Avni Bhatt ◽  
Silvana Carr ◽  
Frances Saccoccio ◽  
Judy Lew

Abstract Background Procalcitonin (PCT) and c-reactive protein (CRP) have been utilized in children to assess risk for serious bacterial infections. However, there have been different cut-offs reported for PCT and CRP, which yield different sensitivity and specificity. This study aims to compare the sensitivity and specificity of PCT and CRP in detecting serious bacterial infections (SBIs), specifically urinary tract infections, bacteremia and meningitis. Methods In this retrospective, single center cohort study from January 2018 to June 2019, we analyzed children with a fever greater than 38C with both PCT and CRP value within 24 hours of admission. Each patient had a blood, urine and/or cerebrospinal fluid culture collected within 48 hours of admission. No antibiotics were administered from the admitting hospital prior to collection of the PCT or CRP. Our gold standard was a positive culture obtained from blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or urine. The statistical analysis included categorical variables as percentages and compared them using the Fisher exact test. The optimal cutoff values for PCT or CRP were based on ROC curve analysis and Youden Index. Sensitivity and specificity analysis were based on literature review cut offs and ROC curves cut offs. Results Among 202 children, we had 45 culture positive patients (11 urinary tract infections, 4 meningitis, and 32 bacteremia). The patients with culture positivity had higher PCT levels (7.9 ng/mL vs 2.5 ng/mL, P=0.0111), CRP levels (110.9 mg/L vs 49.6 mg/L, P&lt;0.0001) and temperature (39.2C vs 39C, P&lt;0.0052). The area under the curve (AUC) comparing culture positivity vs negativity for all culture types was 0.72 (p&lt;0.0001) for PCT and 0.66 (p=0.001) for CRP. In Figure 1, the AUC for culture positive bacteremia was 0.68 (p=0.0011) for PCT and 0.70 (p=0.0003). The AUC for culture positive urinary tract infections (UTI) only was 0.86 (p=0.0001) for PCT and 0.70 (p=0.3607). For the cut-off value for PCT at 0.5 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity was 64% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5–0.77) and 70% (95% CI 0.62–0.77) respectively in identifying children with bacterial infection. For the cut-off value for CRP at 20 mg/L, the sensitivity and specificity was 67% (95% CI 0.52–0.79) and 52% (95% CI 0.44–0.59) respectively in identifying children with bacterial infection. Conclusion In this study, PCT and CRP are nearly equivalent classifiers for detecting SBIs as a group and bacteremia, but PCT is statistically better for urinary tract infections; however, the clinical utility is unknown.


Author(s):  
Xinhui Huo ◽  
Lili Liang ◽  
Xia Ding ◽  
Angshaer Bihazi ◽  
Haiyan Xu

Objectives: In the present study, we assessed the therapeutic qualities of the combination of acupuncture with Western medicine to determine further lines of clinical research. <br><br>Methods: We searched English-language databases and Chinese-language databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to February 2020. Two reviewers performed a meta-analysis of the efficacy and toxicity of the use of acupuncture with Western medicine for RA measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS), rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). <br><br>Results: In total, 9 RCTs involving 698 patients were included for analysis. VAS, ESR, CRP, and RF were all shown to favor the combination of acupuncture with Western medicine compared to Western medicine alone. ST36 (Zusanli), EX-UE9 (Baxie), Ll11 (Quchi), GB34 (Yanglingquan), TE14 (Jianliao) and TE4(Yangchi) were frequently used in 9 clinical trials. <br><br>Conclusion: Treatment using acupuncture with Western medicine was associated with higher efficacy and lower risks than treatment with Western medicine alone. ST36 (Zusanli), EX-UE9 (Baxie), Ll11 (Quchi), GB34 (Yanglingquan), TE14 (Jianliao) and TE4 (Yangchi) were frequently used in treatment of RA and had been verified with effect in clinical practice


Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Nahara Anani Martínez-González ◽  
Ellen Keizer ◽  
Andreas Plate ◽  
Samuel Coenen ◽  
Fabio Valeri ◽  
...  

C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing (POCT) is increasingly being promoted to reduce diagnostic uncertainty and enhance antibiotic stewardship. In primary care, respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common reason for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, which is a major driver for antibiotic resistance. We systematically reviewed the available evidence on the impact of CRP-POCT on antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care. Thirteen moderate to high-quality studies comprising 9844 participants met our inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses showed that CRP-POCT significantly reduced immediate antibiotic prescribing at the index consultation compared with usual care (RR 0.79, 95%CI 0.70 to 0.90, p = 0.0003, I2 = 76%) but not during 28-day (n = 7) follow-up. The immediate effect was sustained at 12 months (n = 1). In children, CRP-POCT reduced antibiotic prescribing when CRP (cut-off) guidance was provided (n = 2). Meta-analyses showed significantly higher rates of re-consultation within 30 days (n = 8, 1 significant). Clinical recovery, resolution of symptoms, and hospital admissions were not significantly different between CRP-POCT and usual care. CRP-POCT can reduce immediate antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care (number needed to (NNT) for benefit = 8) at the expense of increased re-consultations (NNT for harm = 27). The increase in re-consultations and longer-term effects of CRP-POCT need further evaluation. Overall, the benefits of CRP-POCT outweigh the potential harms (NNTnet = 11).


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Kockova ◽  
J Maly ◽  
A Krebsova ◽  
M Labos ◽  
J Pirk

Abstract Background External aortic root support (PEARS) is a novel prophylactic aortic root surgery. Purpose The study aimed to determine the severity of inflammatory response after the personalized external aortic root support (PEARS) procedure in comparison to after the standard prophylactic aortic root surgery (SPARS). Materials and methods The study was a single-centre, retrospective, based on hospital record analysis of patients who underwent the PEARS procedure (PEARS group) or SPARS (SPARS group) during 1998–2017. C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood count (WBC), and echocardiography were routinely obtained. Fever was defined as body temperature ≥38°C. Diagnosis of pericarditis included a minimum of three signs from chest pain, pericardial effusion, ST elevation, elevated CRP, and body temperature. Results PEARS and SPARS groups consisted of 13 and 14 patients, respectively, scheduled for prophylactic aortic root surgery. A majority of patients in both groups had Marfan syndrome with causal mutation in the fibrillin 1 (FBN1) gene (62% vs 79%). Patient baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups, except aortic root was significantly larger in the SPARS group than in the PEARS group (60±12 mm vs 48±5 mm; P=0.003). All surgical procedures were successful and without major complications. The peak values of CRP and WBC were significantly higher in the PEARS group (264.5±84.4 mg/L vs 184.6±89.6 mg/L; P=0.034 and 15.2±3.8 109/L vs 11.9±3.3 109/L; P=0.029). Early and recurrent fever requiring hospital readmission was significantly more frequent in the PEARS group (77% vs 36%; P=0.032 and 46% vs 7%; P=0.020). Early and recurrent pericarditis requiring hospital readmission was also more frequent in the PEARS group (31% vs 0%; P=0.024 and 31% vs 0%; P=0.024). Inflammatory characteristics Postprocedural inflammatory characteristics PEARS group SPARS group P value (N=13) (N=14) Peak level of CRP (mg/L) 264.5±84.4 184.6±89.6 0.034 Peak WBC (109/L) 15.2±3.8 11.9±3.3 0.029 ST elevation (N) 11 (85) 6 (43) 0.024 Early fever (N) 10 (77) 5 (36) 0.032 Recurrent fever (N) 6 (46) 1 (7) 0.020 Early pericarditis (N) 4 (31) 0 (0) 0.024 Recurrent pericarditis (N) 4 (31) 0 (0) 0.024 CRP, C-reactive protein; WBC, white blood count. Echocardiography-signs of inflammation Conclusions The PEARS procedure is an extremely promising surgical technique, but the postoperative inflammatory response occurs frequently and more severely in comparison to SPARS. Clearly, these findings warrant further investigation.


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