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In some patients, Schnitzler syndrome — a rare disease likely of autoinflammatory origin that includes urticarial rash, fever, arthralgia, and bone and muscle pain — responds to interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist therapy (anakinra), but this treatment is not successful for all (also see Schnitzler Syndrome: A Review of 20 Patients in this issue). Investigators in Germany report treatment results with two biologic agents approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis.
The first report concerns three patients treated with tocilizumab therapy, 8 mg/kg/month. Two of these patients had previously received rilonacept, without success. Clinical responses occurred within a short time after the first infusion, and response was close to complete by the …