To the Editor:
Therapies aimed at inhibiting interleukin 6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine implicated in the immune response, inflammation, hematopoiesis, and bone metabolism, are effective for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)1,2. We have found that a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody (tocilizumab; Chugai, Japan) induced prompt and potent suppression of neutrophil recruitment into peripheral blood in patients with RA.
One day after tocilizumab (8 mg/kg) was first administered to patients with active RA, the number of neutrophils in peripheral blood decreased significantly (Figure 1 …
Address reprint requests to Dr. Nakamura; E-mail: ichiclast{at}yugawara-hosp.com