INTERLEUKIN-5 IS A NEW TARGET IN THE TREATMENT OF EOSINOPHILIC GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-329
Author(s):  
T. V. Beketova ◽  
E. V. Arseniev

Interleukin-5 (IL-5) is involved in the maturation and activation of eosinophils, its production is increased in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). This rare form of systemic vasculitides (SV) is characterized by peripheral eosinophilia and involves multiple organs and systems. The clinical introduction of glucocorticoids (GCs) and immunosuppressants has considerably improved the prognosis of EGPA, but their use is associated with significant adverse reactions and cannot be effective enough. The use of standard treatment regimens cannot always allow to achieve remission; the rate of EGPA relapses remains high. Mepolizumab is an IL-5 antagonist and a promising drug for the treatment of patients with EGPA. The presented literature review considers arguments in favor of using mepolizumab in EGPA patients and discusses its efficacy and safety. The currently accumulated data suggest that mepolizumab is effective and safe in treating patients with EGPA, what has been demonstrated in the registration double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled MIRRA study. Treatment with the IL-5 antagonist allows one to control both the symptoms of asthma and the manifestations of SV, enhances the probability of achieving remission of EGPA, can help reduce the risk of relapse and minimize the dose of GS.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. e225947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamalesh Karthikeyan ◽  
Sudarshan Balla ◽  
Martin A Alpert

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare form of vasculitis characterised by atopic manifestations, inflammation of small-sized to medium-sized arteries and veins, hypereosinophilia and tissue infiltration with eosinophils. Cardiac complications occur most commonly in the absence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Cardiac complications include coronary arteritis (rare), pericarditis, myocarditis, endocardial fibrosis (Loeffler’s endocarditis) and intracavitary thrombosis of the left or right ventricle. This is the first reported case of large non-infectious valvular vegetations associated with EGPA.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masanobu Ueno ◽  
Ippei Miyagawa ◽  
Kazuhisa Nakano ◽  
Shigeru Iwata ◽  
Kentaro Hanami ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: Mepolizumab (MPZ), an anti-interleukin-5 antibody, is effective for treating eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). However, its effectiveness has not been adequately evaluated in real-world clinical practice. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness and safety of 300 mg MPZ for relapsing/refractory EGPA resistant to corticosteroids (CS) for 1 year in real-world settings. Methods: We administered MPZ (300 mg) to 16 patients with relapsing/refractory EGPA resistant to CS (with-MPZ). We also retrospectively collected data from the same patients for 12 months before administering MPZ (without-MPZ). The primary endpoint was the 12-month remission rate after MPZ administration, and the secondary endpoints were the Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS), vasculitis damage index (VDI), eosinophil count, changes in concomitant CS doses/concomitant immunosuppressant use, MPZ retention rate, and incidence of adverse events. The clinical course was compared between Without-MPZ and With MPZ.Results: The 12-month remission rate after initiating MPZ was 75%. No change was observed in BVAS, eosinophil count, or concomitant CS dose in the without-MPZ, whereas all these parameters were significantly decreased in the with-MPZ. The number of patients on concomitant immunosuppressants also decreased in the with-MPZ. VDI did not increase in both groups. The MPZ retention rate was 100%, and only three patients (18.8%) had infections.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that MPZ is effective and safe for EGPA, furthermore, compared to Without-MPZ, MPZ improves disease activity and possesses a higher remission rate and CS sparing effect.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuji Nozaki

Biologics targeting inflammation-related molecules in the immune system have been developed to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and these RA treatments have provided revolutionary advances. Biologics may also be an effective treatment for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, particularly in patients with resistance to standard treatments. Despite the accumulation of clinical experience and the increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of vasculitis, it is becoming more difficult to cure vasculitis. The treatment of vasculitis with biologics has been examined in clinical trials, and this has also enhanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of vasculitis. A humanized anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody known as mepolizumab was recently demonstrated to provide clinical benefit in the management of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis in refractory and relapsing disease, and additional new drugs for vasculitis are being tested in clinical trials, while others are in abeyance. This review presents the new findings regarding biologics in addition to the conventional immunosuppressive therapy for ANCA-associated vasculitis.


2021 ◽  
pp. 329-333
Author(s):  
Kanako Kurihara ◽  
Jun Tsugawa ◽  
Shinji Ouma ◽  
Toshiyasu Ogata ◽  
Mikiko Aoki ◽  
...  

A 66-year-old woman with a history of bronchial asthma had shortness of breath and fatigue upon mild exercise. She was diagnosed as congestive heart failure. A blood test showed eosinophilia without the presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA), and a myocardial biopsy specimen revealed eosinophilic infiltration in the myocardium. Eosinophilia was improved when she was administered short-term methylprednisolone. After that, she had numbness and pain in her lower limbs with re-elevation of eosinophils. She had dysesthesia and hypalgesia in the distal part of the limbs. Sural nerve biopsy revealed axonal degeneration and thickness of the arterial wall, indicating a diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Two courses of steroid pulse therapy were performed, resulting in marked improvement of her sensory symptoms. ANCA-negative EGPA might be associated with myocarditis and peripheral neuropathy. A sufficient immunotherapy should have been considered to prevent rapid progression.


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