These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Sleep disturbances and interleukin 6 receptor inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis.
    Author: Fragiadaki K, Tektonidou MG, Konsta M, Chrousos GP, Sfikakis PP.
    Journal: J Rheumatol; 2012 Jan; 39(1):60-2. PubMed ID: 22133618.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: Interleukin 6 (IL-6)-mediated interactions have been associated with sleep disturbances in healthy subjects. In this pilot study we examined whether administration of the IL-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects sleep disturbances. METHODS: Fifteen patients (13 women) with sleep disturbances at baseline received 6 monthly infusions of tocilizumab 8 mg/kg for moderately or severely active RA. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), daytime sleepiness by Epworth Sleepiness Scale, disease activity by the 28-joint Disease Activity Score-erythrocyte sedimentation rate, functional disability by Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and fatigue by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-Fatigue Scale; FFS) at baseline and first, second, third, and sixth month of treatment. Medications used before enrollment remained unchanged during followup. RESULTS: Sleep quality improved and daytime sleepiness decreased significantly at first-month assessment (p < 0.00001 and p < 0.004, respectively, by repeated measurement analysis) compared to baseline, and these changes became more evident through 6 months. Disease activity decreased, fatigue decreased, and functional status improved significantly. Changes in PSQI score over time were not associated with the corresponding changes in DAS28-ESR (r = 0.37, p = 0.17), but correlated significantly with HAQ-DI changes (r = 0.60, p = 0.02) and marginally with changes in FFS scores (r = -0.46, p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Improvement of sleep quality after tocilizumab treatment in patients with RA does not appear to directly result from decreased disease activity, further suggesting that aberrant IL-6 regulation is associated with sleep disturbances.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]