Frontiers in immunology
Tofacitinib does not affect platelet function or coagulation in patients with ulcerative colitis
By Suarez-Trujillo F, Martínez PJ, Soleto I and 12 others.
Abstract
Background
Tofacitinib is a Janus kinase inhibitor used to treat inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis (UC). Previous studies have reported an increased risk of thromboembolic events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tofacitinib. Therefore, evaluating whether these effects are also present in other inflammatory diseases such as UC is important.
Methods
In this exploratory study, we evaluated the impact of tofacitinib on platelet function and coagulation profiles in patients with active UC receiving tofacitinib (n=10), compared with patients treated with anti-TNF agents (n=10) and healthy controls (HC; n=10). Patients were assessed at baseline and after 14 weeks of treatment. Platelet aggregation was assessed by lumiaggregometry, while platelet activation was evaluated by flow cytometry through PAC-1 binding and surface expression of CD62P and CD63. Coagulation was assessed by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) using extrinsic (EXTEM) and intrinsic (INTEM) pathway activation assays. Longitudinal analyses evaluated the effects of time, treatment, and their interaction.