Abstract

Significance In patients with coronavirus disease 2019, a large number of T lymphocytes and mononuclear macrophages are activated, producing cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), which bind to the IL-6 receptor on the target cells, causing the cytokine storm and severe inflammatory responses in lungs and other tissues and organs. Tocilizumab, as a recombinant humanized anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, can bind to the IL-6 receptor with high affinity, thus preventing IL-6 itself from binding to its receptor, rendering it incapable of immune damage to target cells, and alleviating the inflammatory responses.

Keywords

TocilizumabMedicineCytokine stormCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Internal medicineAdverse effectGastroenterologyInterleukin 6Oxygen therapyDiseaseCytokine

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Year
2020
Type
article
Volume
117
Issue
20
Pages
10970-10975
Citations
2754
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Xiaoling Xu, Mingfeng Han, Tiantian Li et al. (2020). Effective treatment of severe COVID-19 patients with tocilizumab. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 117 (20) , 10970-10975. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2005615117

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DOI
10.1073/pnas.2005615117