View clinical trials related to Giant Cell Arteritis.
Filter by:The GCAIO study is an innovative, multimodal research initiative designed to enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and management of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and frequently associated polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). This longitudinal study aims to dissect the complex immunological landscape and systemic manifestations of these conditions through a combination of diagnostic imaging and detailed immunological profiling. The study focuses on three primary objectives: (1) Identifying and analyzing cytokine profiles and immune cell phenotypes, employing techniques like flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and next-generation sequencing to predict disease activity and therapeutic responses. (2) Advancing diagnostic and monitoring capabilities through the application of novel and established imaging technologies, including MRI, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and ultrasound. These modalities aim to improve the detection of neuro-ophthalmological, cardiac, and aortic complications in GCA, potentially offering more precise monitoring and earlier diagnosis. (3) Enhancing the understanding of PMR within the context of GCA by exploring specific biomarkers and advanced imaging to refine diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategies, thus improving patient outcomes.
The purpose of this extension study is to assess the safety and tolerability of secukinumab when administered long-term in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
The longitudinal observational study aims to assess the impact of the microbiome especially the gut-microbiome in the emergence and course of giant cell arteritis (abbr. GCA) patients. At diagnosis and 6 month follow up we will analyze the oral, blood and gut microbiome from GCA patients and healthy controls. Thereby identified potential candidate biota will be further analyzed for possible interactions and influence on the immune system.
This study will examine how intravenous (i.v.) Secukinumab will be processed in the body (pharmacokinetics [PK]) and whether it will be safe and tolerable after multiple doses of i.v. Secukinumab infusion in adult patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large-vessel vasculitis that typically occurs in people over the age of 50. Corticosteroids (GC) are the cornerstone of treatment for GCA. French guidelines recommend starting at 0.7 or 1 mg/kg/day at diagnosis, depending on the occurence of ischemic complication(s). Then, it is recommended to gradually decrease their dose to achieve withdrawal in 12 to 24 months. Despite this treatment, 47% of patients relapse. Relapses are favored by rapid reduction of corticosteroid doses and large vessel involvement at diagnosis. Fortunately, relapses are severe in only 3.3% of cases and ischemic complications are very rare. However, this contributes to prolonging the duration of corticosteroid treatment and thus the risk of cortico-induced adverse events, which have not been significantly reduced in the last 20 years. The main risk factors for the development of steroid-related complications are advanced age and cumulative steroid dose. For this reason, the development of cortisone-sparing strategies is necessary to improve the management of patients with GCA. Thanks to major advances in the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of GCA, new therapeutic targets have been discovered. For example, the efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ), an anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, has been demonstrated in two phase 2 trials and one phase 3 trial, leading to its approval for the management of patients requiring rapid reduction in corticosteroid doses and/or those relapsing repeatedly on prednisone >7.5 mg/day. In recently published US guidelines, TCZ can even be used at diagnosis to reduce the need for corticosteroid therapy.5 Indeed, TCZ appears to be remarkably effective in controlling GCA activity and saves approximately 2000 mg of prednisone in cumulative dose. At present, the place of TCZ compared to methotrexate in the therapeutic strategy is still being evaluated, notably through the METOGiA study (PHRC-N 2017), which is being conducted by our team. Inclusions for METOGiA ended in March 2023 with results expected in 2025. Outside of this study, approximately 1500 patients are currently receiving TCZ treatment for GCA (data from ROCHE-CHUGAI). There is no doubt that TCZ treatment is effective and rather well tolerated in the elderly population, but it generates problems that are not solved to date: - the cost (~900€/month) - the difficulty monitoring these patients because the biological markers usually used to monitor GCA (CRP, ESR, fibrinogen) can no longer be measured since TCZ blocks their production by the hepatocytes. Monitoring of disease activity therefore requires very careful clinical examination and the use of expensive imaging tests such as PET scans because GCA can be active despite normal ESR, CRP and fibrinogen levels. Some studies suggest that monitoring serum IL-6 may help identify patients with active disease, but this test is not readily available and the threshold above which relapse should be suspected is unclear because TCZ induces an increase in serum IL-6 levels by blocking IL-6 receptors, even in patients in remission. - For the same reasons, infections are difficult to detect in patients treated with TCZ. This raises the question of how to discontinue this treatment, especially since other treatments that do not interfere with CRP, ESR, or fibrinogen measurements are being evaluated. This shows that this treatment tends to be prolonged well beyond one year when the disease is often in remission without corticosteroids. This is probably related to two factors: 1/ the fear of relapse after treatment withdrawal; 2/ the absence of a scheme for withdrawing TCZ. The risk of relapse after stopping TCZ has been reported in several studies, in particular the long-term follow-up of phase 2 and 3 trials that demonstrated the efficacy of TCZ for the treatment of GCA. Overall, regardless of the duration of TCZ treatment, the risk of relapse is approximately 40% 6 months after the last injection of TCZ, and the risk of relapse is higher if the large arteries (aorta and its branches) are involved. Thus, although the available data are limited, it appears that tapering rather than immediately stopping TCZ limits the risk of relapse after full withdrawal.
The goal of this observational study is to expand the knowledge about development and aggreviation of diabetes mellitus in patients with giant cell arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. The main questions it aims to answer are: - To identify the risk of comorbidities, especially diabetes, in patients with giant cell arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica, treated with glucocorticoids in combination with or without interleukin-6 inhibitor. - To identify clinical outcomes and biomarkers as potential predictors for development or aggregation of already existing diabetes mellitus in patients with giant cell arthritis or polymyalgia rheumatica using machine learning prediction. Participants will be followed at their respective rheumatology clinic, and will be asked to deliver blood samples at predefined visits.
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also known as Horton's disease, is an inflammatory arteritis of the large and medium-sized arteries, with an estimated incidence of 17.8/100,000 in people over 50. The disease presents potential ophthalmological, neurological, cardiac and aortic vascular complications, making diagnosis an emergency in cases of suspected Horton's disease. only corticosteroid therapy started as early as possible can prevent these complications. Diagnosis has historically relied on temporal artery biopsy, but the recent ACR/EULAR 2022 classification criteria propose alternatives to this invasive examination, in particular imaging tests such as temporal artery ultrasound and PET scans. Although not included in these latest recommendations, high-definition wall MRI can also provide arguments in favor of this diagnosis, and avoid the need for a temporal artery biopsy, the sensitivity of which is only 75%. The investigators recently demonstrated in a prospective cohort that wall MRI, possibly coupled with temporal artery ultrasound or retinal angiography, was far superior to temporal artery biopsy in diagnostic performance. The main limitation of these imaging tests is the lack of data in the literature on the evolution of abnormalities over time, and in particular after initiation of oral corticosteroid therapy. This uncertainty makes it difficult to use these examinations to monitor disease activity, particularly in cases of suspected relapse, a frequent situation in which the clinician is regularly put at fault due to an often frustrating symptomatology and the possible absence of a frank biological inflammatory syndrome. The investigators propose to conduct a study aimed at describing the evolution of cranial vessel wall abnormalities on wall MRI and ultrasound by systematically repeating these examinations at 1 month, 3 months from the initial MRI performed at diagnosis, in addition to the follow-up performed as part of care at 6 and 12 months from diagnosis. In the event of a relapse in the intervening period, a new MRI scan can be performed and compared with the most recent MRI scan, to look for evidence of disease activity.
The aim of this national pragmatic observational study is to investigate whether the use of new diagnostic imaging modalities facilitates disease stratification that can potentially predict treatment response, relapse risk and complications and hence guide management strategies to improve disease control and reduce disease and treatment related damage.
Longitudinal prospective multicenter Armenian registry of systemic autoimmune, autoinflammatory diseases with constitution of bio-banking.
The research study is being conducted to determine the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identifying inflammation of arteries supplying blood to the head, brain, and eyes. The target population includes patient diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA; temporal arteritis).