Lung transplantation for idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease: potential efficacy and tolerability of a humanized anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a rare polyclonal lymphoproliferative disease caused by the overrepresentation of interleukin-6 (IL-6). Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the IL-6 receptor and is approved for the treatment of iMCD. The efficacy and tolerability of TCZ in patients with iMCD undergoing lung transplantation (LTx) remain unknown. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 48-year-old iMCD patient with end-stage lung disease (ESLD) who was successfully treated with cadaveric single-LTx. Intravenous TCZ was used to stabilize the iMCD patient every 2 weeks, except for withdrawal immediately after LTx. At 32 month post-transplant, the patient remained asymptomatic without evidence of rejection, development of de novo donor-specific antibody (DSA), and recurrent iMCD in the native lung. CONCLUSIONS: Single-LTx can be a feasible treatment option for ESLD caused by iMCD. TCZ can be used safely and may be beneficial in recipients with iMCD, and TCZ in combination with usual immunosuppression can be helpful in stabilizing iMCD patients pre- and post-LTx.