Effect of tocilizumab on haematological markers implicates interleukin-6 signalling in the anaemia of rheumatoid arthritis

Inflammatory anaemia improves in patients with RA treated with tocilizumab. This improvement correlates with the degree of suppression of systemic inflammation, reduction in hepcidin and haptoglobin and increase in iron-binding capacity. These clinical data provide evidence of a role for IL-6 signalling in the inflammatory anaemia of RA.