{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Evaluating tocilizumab safety and immunomodulatory effects under ocular HTLV-1 infection in vitro.
{Author}: Zhang J;Kamoi K;Zong Y;Yang M;Zou Y;Ohno-Matsui K;
{Journal}: Int Immunopharmacol
{Volume}: 137
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Jun 21
{Factor}: 5.714
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112460
{Abstract}: There is growing interest in evaluating the safety and therapeutic potential of existing treatments such as tocilizumab (TCZ), an IL-6 receptor antagonist used to treat inflammatory diseases. However, there have been reports of increased inflammation in patients with HTLV-1 uveitis after TCZ treatment, and its ocular safety in the HTLV-1 infected state remains unknown. This study focused on assessing the impact of TCZ on HTLV-1-infected ocular cells using an in vitro model in which retinal pigment epithelial cells were cocultured with irradiated HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines. TCZ did not significantly affect cellular viability, inflammatory markers, or HTLV-1 proviral loads at various concentrations (25/50/100 µg/ml), indicating no increased risk of HTLV-1 viral infection and no exacerbation of the inflammatory aspects of HTLV-1 infection in the ocular cells. These promising results support the potential of TCZ as a safe treatment option for HTLV-1-infected patients, particularly those with eye infections.