In rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with subcutaneous tocilizumab, the clinical and ultrasound scores rapidly declined. Ultrasound scores were not linked with participant-reported variables. Half of the subjects attained ultrasound remission, while there was a rise in discrepancies in the proportion of subjects attaining remission based on different Composite Disease Activity Scores (CDAS).

An open-label, single-arm, multicentre, 24-week study was carried to investigate the efficacy of subcutaneous tocilizumab therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients and to determine the response by ultrasound in comparison with CDAS.

The study cohort included rheumatoid arthritis subjects with an unsatisfactory response to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic agents initiating subcutaneous tocilizumab 162 mg once weekly for about 24 weeks. The clinical evaluations were carried at baseline, two, four, eight, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks and the ultrasound assessments were carried out at baseline, 4, 12, and 24 weeks.

Estimation of sum scores of ultrasound greyscale/Doppler, and CDAS and American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) response were done. Utilizing the Mann-Whitney test and correlations by Spearman's rho, the alterations during follow-up were determined.

Overall, 133 subjects were clinically evaluated and 110 subjects were also assessed with ultrasound. All ultrasound and clinical scores remarkably declined after four weeks. At 24 weeks, ACR 70% response in 47.4% and EULAR good response was witnessed in 87.7%. The ultrasound scores were found to have no or low correlations with participant-reported outcomes. At 24 weeks, a sum score Doppler of 0 was noted in 53.3% and CDAS remission was attained in 27.4-83.5%.

Subcutaneous tocilizumab therapy yields satisfactory outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis patients.