JOPIC
Journal of Pulmonology and Intensive Care

The JoPIC is an independent-unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal of current national and international issues and reviews for original clinical and experimental research, interesting case reports, surgical techniques, differential diagnoses, editorial opinions, letters to the editor, and educational papers in pulmonology, thoracic surgery, occupational diseases, allergology, and intensive care medicine.

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Original Article
Effect of tocilizumab or anakinra use on prognosis in patients admission to intensive care due to COVID-19
Abstract
Aims: Anticytokine treatments may be beneficial in patients who do not benefit from glucocorticoid treatment, which is the first choice in systemic hyperinflammation cases caused by SARS-COV-2. Interleukin 6 receptor blocker tocilizumab and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra are anticytokines that have been granted off-label use permits by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkiye. In this study, the effects of these two drugs on laboratory parameters used to evaluate mortality and clinical severity of the disease were investigated.
Methods: The files of patients who received tocilizumab and anakinra for the treatment of coronavirus disease-2019 between 01.07.2020-31.03.2022 in the Chest Diseases Intensive Care Unit of Adana City Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: Mortality and mechanical ventilation requirement were found to be significantly lower in the tocilizumab group compared to the anakinra group (p=0.005, 0.01, respectively). C-reactive protein, pro-BNP and fibrinogen values continued to decrease in both groups. White blood count, D-dimer, neutrophil values increased in both groups. Unlike anakinra, tocilizumab decreased ferritin values and increased lymphocyte, platelet, INR, urea and aspartate transaminase, total bilirubin, red blood cell values (p=0.004, 0.035, 0.032, 0.09, p<0.001, p=0.002, p=0.006, p=0.008, respectively).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, tocilizumab was found to be more successful than anakinra treatment in terms of mortality, need for mechanical ventilation and improvement of laboratory parameters, but liver and kidney functions should be monitored.

Keywords : Anakinra, COVID-19, intensive care, tocilizumab

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Article available in :
Volume 3, Issue 4, 2025
Page : 89-93
https://doi.org/10.51271/JOPIC-0066
Article Information
Received : 04 Tem 2025
Accepted : 26 Ağu 2025
Published : 29 Kas 2025
Corresponding Author :

Elif Karabacak: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Düzce University, Düzce, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Kubat H, Karabacak E, Aybal E, Erçen Diken Ö. Effect of tocilizumab or anakinra use on prognosis in patients admission to intensive care due to COVID-19. J Pulmonol Intens Care. 2025;3(4):89-93.

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