A new interleukin to treat arthrites: anti-interleukin-6

Immunopathological aspects of interleukin-6 are analyzed, as well as the clinical use of tocilizumab, its safety and efficacy. Several studies have demonstrated that the blockade of interleukin-6 may bring a therapeutic benefit to rheumatoid arthritis patients. Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the cell and soluble receptor of interleukin-6 and it also changes the levels of vascular endothelial growth  factor. Although its mechanism of action is not completely known to date various reports on medical literature show that its benefits are quite reliable and suggest that it will be a new anticitokine treatment for inflammatory arthritis

NEW CONCEPTS IN PATHOGENESIS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMYLOID DISEASE

BOSTON UNIV HOSP,SCH MED,EVANS DEPT CLIN RES,ARTHRIT & CONNECT TISSUE DIS SECT,BOSTON,MA 02118Web of Scienc

Amiloidose AL em um adulto jovem: remissão clínica e laboratorial com transplante autólogo de células tronco

Transplante autólogo de células tronco é uma das formas de tratamento da amiloidose primária ou AL. Os autores relatam um paciente de 46 anos com hematomas periorbitais bilaterais, macroglossia, em quem, na investigação, se constatou a presença de paraproteínas IgG Kappa no soro. O diagnóstico de amiloidose primária ou AL foi confirmado, e o tratamento proposto com condicionamento com doses altas de Melfalan, seguido de transplante autólogo de células tronco, determinou a remissão completa da doença com desaparecimento de sinais clínicos e ausência do componente monoclonal