Clinical improvement of renal amyloidosis in a patient with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis who received tocilizumab treatment: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a common rheumatic disease in children and adolescents. Although JIA may cause secondary amyloidosis, this is a rare complication in patients with JIA and other rheumatic diseases. Many previous studies have revealed that common heterozygous or homozygous mutations in the MEFV gene are associated with systemic-onset JIA (SJIA). CASE PRESENTATION: We herein report a case involving a 19-year-old female patient with difficult-to-control SJIA. She developed progressive proteinuria without clinical signs or symptoms of edema. Renal amyloidosis was diagnosed by renal pathologic examination, which demonstrated deposition of eosinophilic amorphous material in the interlobular arteries, arterioles, and interstitium. Electron microscopy showed fibrillary material deposits with a diameter of 8 to 10 nm. A heterozygous E148Q mutation in the MEFV gene was identified. Conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and etanercept had been used to treat the SJIA, but the disease could not be controlled. Therefore, we decided to start tocilizumab to control the disease activity. However, the patient was unable to receive a standard dose of tocilizumab in the early period of treatment because of socioeconomic limitations. Her disease course was still active, and proteinuria was found. Therefore, tocilizumab was increased to a dose of 8 mg/kg every 2 weeks (standard dose of SJIA), and the patient exhibited a clinical response within 3 months. CONCLUSION: Refractory SJIA associated with renal amyloidosis is an uncommon cause of proteinuria in adolescents. Tocilizumab may be a beneficial treatment for renal amyloidosis in patients with SJIA.