Tocilizumab and its usage for skin diseases.

Abstract

The monoclonal anti-IL6 receptor antibody called Tocilizumab is widely used by rheumatologists for joint diseases. Its application in dermatology has mainly concerned scleroderma and Systemic Sclerosis in the last years. The most varied skin diseases treated with Tocilizumab, such as Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Behcet's Disease, Lupus, and the already mentioned Scleroderma up to multi-organ syndromes with skin involvement will be discussed. At the same time, there have been several side reactions to the drug involving the skin forcing careful skin monitoring during treatment. Despite the evidence currently available in the appropriate literature, there is no formal recommendation for any of these diseases to use Tocilizumab for therapeutic purposes. This review aims to collect all the main evidence on the use and involvement of the drug in dermatological practice in order to stimulate further research or hypothesize on possible therapeutic options.