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ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
27997574 Rheumatoid Arthritis Was Negatively Associated with Alzheimer's Disease: A Population-Base 2016 Some of the prior literature investigated the potential association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) because these two diseases may share similar inflammatory mechanisms. Nevertheless, to date, findings of the previous literature are still controversial, and some methodological limitations were observed in those studies. The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the relationship between prior RA and AD using a large population-based dataset. This study used the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. We included 2271 patients with AD who had received prescriptions for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) as cases and 6813 patients without AD as controls in this study. In addition, we performed a conditional logistic regression to examine the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for prior RA between cases and controls. The study found that 330 (3.63%) of the total sampled patients had an RA diagnosis before the index date. Additionally, prior RA was found in 60 (2.64%) cases and in 270 (3.96%) controls. The conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the crude OR of prior RA for cases was 0.66 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49~0.87) compared to controls. After adjusting for patients' geographic location, urbanization level, and comorbidities, the adjusted OR of prior RA for patients with AD was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.55~0.98) compared to those without AD. We concluded that there was an inverse association between prior RA and AD even after adjusting for potential confounders.
26615098 Regulatory T cells in Arthritis. 2015 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases and is characterized by inflammation and subsequent bone destruction in multiple joints. In mice, depletion of regulatory T (Treg) cells results in the onset of a variety of autoimmune diseases including arthritis, while replenishment of Treg cells alleviates arthritic symptoms. The importance of Treg cells in RA is supported by the effectiveness of CTLA4-Ig therapy, an increased Treg cell/effector T cell ratio after anti-IL-6R or anti-TNF-α treatment and the identification of CTLA-4 as an RA-associated gene. Thus, Treg cells constitute a useful target in the treatment of RA. Foxp3(+) T cells consist of heterogeneous populations in terms of their surface markers, suppressive function, and plasticity. Plastic Foxp3(+) T cells are able to convert into pathogenic Th17 cells, which have been shown to exacerbate arthritis in mice. Therefore, it is important to identify a stable suppressive Foxp3(+) Treg cell subpopulation along with suppressive molecules and surface markers. In addition, considering the recent studies on the identification of arthritic antigens, the generation of antigen-specific Treg cells from naïve CD4(+) T cells or effector T cells is now feasible, along with the induction of Foxp3 and stabilization of the suppressive function by epigenetic modification of Treg cell signature genes. These approaches will lead to the establishment of new therapeutic strategies against arthritis that work by increasing the Treg cell/effector T cell ratio in favor of Treg cells. Here, we summarize our understanding of the role of Treg cells in arthritis based on recent human and murine studies.
27800090 Rheumatoid shoulder assessed by ultrasonography: prevalence of abnormalities and associate 2016 INTRODUCTION: The shoulder involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is common. It can be subclinical and compromise the function of the upper limb. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography can detect subclinical abnormalities in rheumatoid shoulder. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of ultrasound abnormalities in rheumatoid shoulder, and investigate their association with different parameters. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 37 patients with RA, meeting the ACR/EULAR 2010 classification criteria, who were enrolled during a month. A questionnaire with sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data was filled in for all patients. Ultrasound evaluation was performed by a single experienced operator. For each patient, both of shoulders were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age was 50 years with female predominance. Median disease duration of RA was 7.5 years. All patients had a seropositive form of RA. Mean clinical DAS28 was 5.1. Mean HAQ was 1.2. Thirty-one (83.8%) patients had involvement of the shoulder: unilateral in 9(24.3%) cases and bilateral in 22(59.5%) cases. Synovitis was found in 16(43.2%) patients with Doppler in 4 (10.8%) cases. Sub-acromial bursitis was noted in 14 (37.8%) cases and the effusion in 20 (54.1%). Synovitis was noted especially in elderly individuals (p: 0.01). The Doppler was visualized in elderly patients (p: 0.01), with a shorter disease duration (p: 0.02) and with a high SDAI (p: 0.006). US inflammatory findings in anterior recess of glenohumeral joint were linked to a higher synovial index (p: 0.03) and a higher level of rheumatoid factor (p: 0.01). CONCLUSION: 59.5% of our RA patients had bilateral involvement of the shoulder which was related to the disease activity. Ultrasound should be a systematic tool to look for the involvement of this joint in RA patients.
25989956 Societal preferences for rheumatoid arthritis treatments: evidence from a discrete choice 2015 Oct OBJECTIVE: There is a concern that cost-effectiveness analysis using quality-adjusted life years does not capture all valuable benefits of treatments. The objective of this study was to determine the value society places on aspects of RA treatment to inform policymaking. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was administered to a representative sample of the Canadian general population. The discrete choice experiment, developed using focus groups, had seven attributes (route and frequency of administration, chance of benefit, chance of serious and minor side effects, confidence in evidence and life expectancy). A conditional logit regression model was used to estimate the significance and relative importance of attributes in influencing preferences on the quality-adjusted life years scale. RESULTS: Responses from 733 respondents who provided rational responses were analysed. Six attribute levels within four attributes significantly influenced preferences for treatments: a willingness to trade a year of life expectancy over a 10-year period to increase the probability of benefiting from treatment, or two-thirds of a year to reduce minor or serious side effects to the lowest level or improve the confidence in benefit/side-effect estimates. There was also some evidence of a preference for oral drug delivery, though a subgroup analysis suggested this preference was restricted to injection-naive respondents. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest society values the degree of confidence in the estimates of risks and benefits of RA treatments and the route of administration, as well as benefits and side effects. This study provides important evidence to policymakers determining the cost-effectiveness of treatments in arthritis.
26453249 Factors that influence fatigue status in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) an 2015 Nov The objective of the present study is to determine the factors associated with persistent fatigue in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and good disease response to 6 months of tumour necrosis factor inhibitor therapy. Eligible patients with either persistent (PF) or no fatigue (NF) were compared. Using validated questionnaires and bivariate analysis, this cross-sectional survey explored if clinical characteristics, pain, self-efficacy, sleep and mood/depression differed between groups. Patients with PF (PF; NF) (n = 28; 28) reported significantly more overall pain (11.3 ± 9.4 (0-33); 6.9 ± 8.9 (0-33)), more recent and current pain intensity (41.4 ± 26.6 (0-80) 24.4 ± 26.6 (0-100) and depression (11.8 ± 7.5 (1-35); 8.2 ± 6.6 (0-26)), than the NF group. There was no significant difference between groups in self-efficacy and both groups experienced poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index >5). Despite having good disease response, the PF group had significantly higher rheumatoid factor incidence, disease activity score-28, early morning stiffness duration and lower incidence of ever-failing disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs than the NF group. These findings enhance the fatigue literature in patients with RA prescribed tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition therapy, identifying the potentially modifiable factors of pain and depression, previously demonstrated to be strongly associated with fatigue in non-biologic populations. In addition, this study highlights the association between persistent fatigue and an on-going state of low disease activity. This infers that more judicious disease management could minimise the symptom burden of pain and depression and consequentially fatigue.
27736006 Body mass index and response to abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis. 2016 Dec BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggested that obesity could negatively affect the response to antitumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) agents in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data are lacking on whether obesity affects the response to abatacept (ABA). We aimed to determine whether body mass index (BMI) affects the response to ABA in RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective study, we included RA patients who received ABA. BMI was calculated at the initiation of treatment. After 6 months of treatment, change from baseline in DAS28, pain on a visual analog scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level, tender and swollen joint count were analysed. The primary endpoint was decrease in DAS28 ≥ 1·2. Secondary outcomes were good response and remission by EULAR criteria. RESULTS: At baseline, among 141 RA patients included, the median [interquartile range] BMI was 26·0 [22·9-30·8] kg/m². The number of patients with normal weight, overweight and obesity was 64 (45·4%), 38 (27%) and 39 (27·6%), respectively. Baseline characteristics did not differ among the three BMI subgroups. Univariate analysis revealed no difference in BMI between responders and nonresponders: DAS28 decrease ≥ 1·2 (25·0 [23·4-31·3] vs. 26·3 [22·9-30·2], P = 0·95), EULAR good response (26·4 [23·5-30·9] vs. 26·0 [22·9-30·6], P = 0·96) and remission (26·7 [21·7-30·3] vs. 26·0 [23·0-30·1], P = 0·83). CONCLUSION: In our real-life study, BMI did not affect the response to ABA in RA. If confirmed, these results suggest that obesity is not a limitation of ABA use in RA.
25721154 MIF and TNFα serum levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with disease-modifying 2015 Apr Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) play a pivotal role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MIF is considered a relevant cytokine because it appears before TNFα in the inflammatory cascade thus stimulating TNFα production and MIF's relationship with traditional synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (sDMARDs) is unknown. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association of MIF and TNFα serum levels with methotrexate (MTX) and in combination with chloroquine (CLQ) and sulfasalazine (SSZ) in RA patients classified according to the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria. Patients were divided into three groups: MTX-monotherapy group (n = 40), MTX combination therapy groups: MTX + CLQ (n = 41), and MTX + CLQ + SSZ (n = 42). MIF and TNFα serum levels were determined by ELISA. We found high levels of ESR, CRP, RF, and anti-CCP in all therapy groups. Furthermore, we subclassified 97 patients with established RA (≥2 years of disease duration) and found that TNFα serum levels were lower in the combination therapy group (MTX + CLQ + SSZ) in comparison with the monotherapy MTX group (16.7 pg/mL versus 13.6 pg/mL, p = 0.02). However, we did not find differences between sDMARD therapies in MIF serum levels. We did find a significant reduction in MIF serum levels in patients treated with oral steroids compared with patients without oral steroids (1.7 ng/mL versus 4.3 ng/mL, p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study supports the role of sDMARDs in modifying TNFα serum levels and oral steroids MIF serum levels. Nevertheless, we found that MIF serum levels are not modified by sDMARD treatment.
26063952 The Role of Power Doppler Ultrasonography as Disease Activity Marker in Rheumatoid Arthrit 2015 Structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs early if inflammation is not treated promptly. Treatment targeted to reduce inflammation, in particular, that of synovial inflammation in the joints (synovitis), has been recommended as standard treat-to-target recommendations by rheumatologists. The goal is to achieve disease remission (i.e., no disease activity). Several accepted remission criteria have not always equated to the complete absence of true inflammation. Over the last decade, musculoskeletal ultrasonography has been demonstrated to detect subclinical synovitis not appreciated by routine clinical or laboratory assessments, with the Power Doppler modality allowing clinicians to more readily appreciate true inflammation. Thus, targeting therapy to Power Doppler activity may provide superior outcomes compared with treating to clinical targets alone, making it an attractive marker of disease activity in RA. However, more validation on its true benefits such as its benefits to patients in regard to patient related outcomes and issues with standardized training in acquisition and interpretation of power Doppler findings are required.
27506911 Pain beliefs and problems in functioning among people with arthritis: a meta-analytic revi 2016 Oct In this meta-analysis, we evaluated overall strengths of relation between beliefs about pain, health, or illness and problems in functioning (i.e., functional impairment, affective distress, pain severity) in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis samples as well as moderators of these associations. In sum, 111 samples (N = 17,365 patients) met inclusion criteria. On average, highly significant, medium effect sizes were observed for associations between beliefs and problems in functioning but heterogeneity was also inflated. Effect sizes were not affected by arthritis subtype, gender, or age. However, pain belief content emerged as a significant moderator, with larger effect sizes for studies in which personal incapacity or ineffectiveness in controlling pain was a content theme of belief indices (i.e., pain catastrophizing, helplessness, self-efficacy) compared to those examining locus of control and fear/threat/harm beliefs. Furthermore, analyses of longitudinal study subsets supported the status of pain beliefs risk factors for later problems in functioning in these groups.
27466000 Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of foot orthoses for people with established 2017 May OBJECTIVES: Foot orthoses are commonly prescribed as an intervention for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Data relating to the cost-effectiveness of foot orthoses in people with RA are limited. The aim was to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of two types of foot orthoses in people with established RA. METHOD: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken to compare custom-made foot orthoses (CMFOs) and simple insoles (SIs) in 41 people with established RA. The Foot Function Index (FFI) was used to measure foot pain, disability, and functional limitation. Costs were estimated from the perspective of the UK National Health Service (NHS), societal (patient and family) perspective, and secondary care resource use in terms of the intervention and staff time. Effects were assessed in terms of health gain expressed as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). RESULTS: At baseline, 20 participants received a CMFO and 21 participants received an SI. After 16 weeks foot pain improved in both the CMFOs (p = 0.000) and the SIs (p < 0.01). However, disability scores improved for CMFOs (p < 0.001) but not for SIs (p = 0.40). The cost-effectiveness results demonstrated no difference in cost between the arms (CMFOs: £159.10; SIs: £79.10; p = 0.35), with the CMFOs being less effective in terms of cost per QALY gain (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In people with established RA, semi-rigid customized foot orthoses can improve pain and disability scores in comparison to simple insoles. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, the customized foot orthoses were far more expensive to manufacture, with no significant cost per QALY gain.
25684772 Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Working Toward Incorporation of the Patient Perspective 2016 Jan OBJECTIVE: The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) should target patient-relevant outcomes, making patient perspective on remission essential. In 2010, patients, physicians, health professionals, and researchers at the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) conference developed an ambitious research agenda to study the concept of remission. Qualitative research has since helped us understand the concept of remission from the patient perspective. METHODS: During OMERACT 12, the OMERACT working group on patient perspective on remission in RA elaborated on data generated to date and discussed the methodological challenges ahead. Challenges included (1) selection of domains, (2) choice of a patient remission definition or a single domain to add to the current remission definition, and (3) the importance of pain in defining remission from a patient perspective. RESULTS: Focus in the coming years will be on increasing our understanding by identifying the most important domains from the patient perspective regarding remission and investigating how these domains can be measured. Investigation into the Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease questionnaire, disease flare, as well as the concordance of domains from our ongoing remission survey is appropriate. More data and further discussions are needed to decide on the next steps. CONCLUSION: Progress summarized over 4 years highlights the main methodological challenges discussed within the working group on patient perspective on remission in RA during OMERACT 12.
26562052 Modified intention-to-treat analysis did not bias trial results. 2016 Apr OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether analysis of the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population with postrandomization exclusion of patients from analysis is associated with biased estimates of treatment effect compared to the conservative intention-to-treat (ITT) population. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Placebo-controlled, blinded randomized trials on biological or targeted interventions for rheumatoid arthritis were identified through a systematic search. Two authors independently extracted data. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to combine odds ratios as an expression of treatment effect and stratify according to the different analysis populations. RESULTS: Seventy-two randomized trials were included and analyzed (23,842 patients). Thirty trials analyzed the ITT population, 37 analyzed an mITT population, and 5 trials had an unclear analysis population. The treatment effect of active intervention compared to control, when based on mITT, was comparable to ITT (odds ratio 3.76 [95% confidence interval 3.09, 4.57], and 3.47 [2.77, 4.34]; comparison P = 0.60). CONCLUSION: We found no difference in the treatment effect between randomized trials using ITT and mITT analyses populations. This suggests that the mITT approach in rheumatoid arthritis trials investigating biological or targeted interventions does not introduce bias compared to ITT.
26339358 Honokiol possesses potential anti-inflammatory effects on rheumatoid arthritis and GM-CSF 2015 OBJECTIVE: To observe the anti-inflammatory effects of honokiol in primary cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rheumatoid arthritis patients, the pro-inflammatory cytokines and potential targets were investigated. METHODS: The levels of GM-CSF, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-8 were determined by ELISA assay. The genes and proteins expression were analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blotting respectively. RESULTS: The serum IL-1β, TNF-α and GM-CSF levels were 1.76-, 2.16- and 3.57-fold increased in patients with RA as compared to those of control group. Honokiol inhibited the expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, GM-CSF and IL-8 in PBMCs with a dose-dependent manner. Measurements obtained from supernatants were positively correlated between TNF-α and IL-1β, moreover, similar results found TNF-α levels positively correlated with GM-CSF and IL-8 activity in the supernatants of PBMCs isolated from RA patients. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression of IL-1β, GM-CSF and IL-8 were up-regulated when the PBMCs exposure to TNF-α, however, honokiol treatment significantly reversed the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α and GM-CSF in response to TNF-α with a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that honokiol could possess potential anti-inflammatory effects and inhibits TNF-α-induced IL-1β, GM-CSF and IL-8 production in PBMCs from rheumatoid arthritis patients.
25539828 Gene, environment, microbiome and mucosal immune tolerance in rheumatoid arthritis. 2016 Mar RA is a complex multifactorial chronic disease that transitions through several stages. Multiple studies now support that there is a prolonged phase in early RA development during which there is serum elevation of RA-related autoantibodies including RF and ACPAs in the absence of clinically evident synovitis. This suggests that RA pathogenesis might originate in an extra-articular location, which we hypothesize is a mucosal site. In discussing this hypothesis, we will present herein the current understanding of mucosal immunology, including a discussion about the generation of autoimmune responses at these surfaces. We will also examine how other factors such as genes, microbes and other environmental toxins (including tobacco smoke) could influence the triggering of autoimmunity at mucosal sites and eventually systemic organ disease. We will also propose a research agenda to improve our understanding of the role of mucosal inflammation in the development of RA.
26825024 VEGF Gene Polymorphisms Affect Serum Protein Levels and Alter Disease Activity and Synovia 2016 Jan 30 BACKGROUND: Our study investigated 2 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for their influences on serum VEGF levels, disease activity, and synovial lesions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIAL/METHODS: Clinical information and venous blood samples were collected from 98 RA patients and 100 healthy controls. Genotyping on samples from the subjects was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Serum VEGF levels were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The synovial thickness and joint effusion of 28 joints were measured in RA patients, and total sharp score (TSS) and disease activity score (DAS) of 28 joints were recorded. RESULTS: The genotype and allele frequencies of VEGF rs833070 (G>A) and rs3025030 (G>C) were significantly different between RA group and control group (all P<0.05). VEGF rs833070 and rs3025030 polymorphisms were associated with increasing VEGF serum levels in the RA group (all P<0.01). Statistically significant difference was observed in DAS28 between the different genotypes of VEGF rs833070 in RA patients (P<0.05). Importantly, significant differences in synovial thickening, joint effusion and synovial angiogenesis were observed between the different genotypes of VEGF rs833070 and rs3025030 polymorphisms (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence that VEGF polymorphisms might be important indicators of disease activity and synovial lesions, and prognostic factors in evaluating the treatment effectiveness in RA.
25664404 Factors influencing the patient evaluation of injection experience with the SmartJect auto 2015 Mar OBJECTIVES: To evaluate factors influencing injection patterns and patient evaluations of an autoinjector device in biologic-naïve patients beginning golimumab (GLM) treatment. METHODS: GO-MORE was an open-label, multinational, prospective study in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (28-joint disease activity score based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28-ESR] ≥3.2). Patients injected 50 mg subcutaneous GLM once monthly for 6 months. Patients reported use preferences and autoinjector evaluations by questionnaire. Responses were analysed descriptively. Effects of patient variables were evaluated with chi-square tests or t-tests. RESULTS: Of 3,280 efficacy-evaluable patients, 67.7% self-injected with the autoinjector. Compared with patients who self-injected, patients who had someone else administer injections had greater baseline disease activity (e.g., DAS28-ESR 5.84 vs. 6.23, respectively), but not more tender/swollen joints in hands/wrists. Month 6 efficacy was greater for patients who self-injected. In those who self-injected, injection site (thigh [75.2%; 1,563/2,077], abdomen [17.4%; 363/2,077], upper arm [7.2%; 151/2,077]) was not associated with wrist swelling or tender/swollen joints in the hand used for injection. Autoinjector ratings were similar across injection sites, yet less pain/discomfort was associated with abdomen injection. Patient autoinjector ratings were favourable overall (e.g. ease of use, pain). Patients with baseline functional impairment had slightly less favourable ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Biologic-naïve patients who self-injected had less baseline disease activity and higher response rates than patients who did not self-inject. Although patients prefer to inject in the thigh, injection in the belly may be less painful. Most patients who self-injected had favourable autoinjector evaluations; patients with functional impairment had slightly less favourable ratings.
27976695 Relationship between handedness and joint involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. 2016 Dec 15 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by autoimmune chronic joint inflammation, which is worsened by mechanical stress. It is still inconclusive whether joints on the right side or the dominant side get more damaged in RA since the limited number of patients analyzed in the previous study had made it difficult to separately analyze right-handed and left-handed patients. Here, we enrolled 334 RA patients, the biggest number of patients in studies to address this issue and separately analyzed right-handed and left-handed patients. As a result, we observed that joints on the dominant side got clinically and radiologically more involved in the right-handed patients (p ≤ 0.0030). Importantly, this tendency was also seen in the left-handed patients, while it was not statistically significant due to the small sample size. This tendency was observed in each component of clinical or radiological involvement. Thus, handedness influences the laterality of clinical and radiological joint involvement in RA.
27018857 Comparative efficacy of tocilizumab, abatacept and rituximab after non-TNF inhibitor failu 2016 Nov AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of tocilizumab, rituximab and abatacept after a non-tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (non-TNFi) failure for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective multi-centre study included patients treated for RA with abatacept, rituximab or tocilizumab after having received in the previous line the first non-TNFi. Data were collected from patient charts. The primary endpoint was the delta Disease Activity Index of 28 joints - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) and DAS28-CRP (C-reactive protein) at 12 months. The relative change in primary outcome measures from baseline were calculated. RESULTS: One hundred patients started a second non-TNFi between 2006 and 2013, including 15 patients treated with rituximab, 36 with tocilizumab and 49 with abatacept. The change of DAS28-ESR was significantly different between the three groups (P = 0.001). In post hoc pairwise comparisons, patients treated with tocilizumab had a higher decrease of the DAS28-ESR than patients treated by abatacept (median [interquartile range: IQR]: 36% [0; 54%] vs. 0% [0; 20%], P = 0.002). A similar non-significant difference was found between tocilizumab and rituximab (median [IQR] decrease: 36% [0; 54%] vs. 0% [-11; 34%], P = 0.07). Similar results were found with the 12 months change in DAS28-CRP. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a better efficacy of tocilizumab compared with abatacept and rituximab in situations of non-TNFi failure.
26250118 Evaluation of rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies in relation to r 2016 Oct BACKGROUND: Leprosy patients may present several osteoarticular complaints, which require further evaluation of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, an adequate clinical assessment in addition to testing for rheumatoid factors (RF) and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), can be useful in order to establish the correct diagnosis. METHOD: In this study, the relation of RF and anti-CCP with rheumatological manifestations was evaluated in 97 leprosy patients from Southern Brazil. The results were compared to RA patients and healthy controls from the same geographical area and ethnic background. RESULTS: Neuropathy was observed in 71.1% and arthritis in 35.1% of the leprosy patients. A high frequency of RF positivity was observed among the leprosy patients (41.2%, 40/97), with RF immunoglobulin A (IgA) significantly associated with arthritis (OR = 7.9, 95% CI = 1.5-40.6 P = 0.008). Anti-CCP was observed in 9.3% (9/97) of the patients, with anti-CCP2 being the most frequent subtype. Only 4.1% (4/97) of the patients were RF and anti-CCP concomitantly positive. RF IgM showed a significant association with leprosy when compared to healthy controls (P < 0.0001) whereas for anti-CCP2 no significant results were observed (P = 0.0585). However, both biomarkers showed a strong association with RA when compared to leprosy in patients from the same geographical area and ethnic background (anti-CCP2 OR = 38.6; 95% CI = 16.49-90.26; P < 0.0001 and RF IgM OR = 4.51; 95% CI = 2.62-7.77; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Due to the similarity of some rheumatological manifestations in leprosy with other inflammatory diseases, such as RA, clinical and laboratorial evaluation of affected patients must be carefully assessed in order to achieve proper diagnosis and treatment.
28737837 Drug survival and reasons for discontinuation of the first biological disease modifying an 2018 Jan AIM: To evaluate and compare the retention rate of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in real-life practice and identify risk factors related to remission and drug discontinuation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHOD: A total of 256 patients fulfilling criteria for RA and starting bDMARD between December 2009 and October 2014 were selected from the Rheumatic Disease Prior Authorization registry. Baseline demographic and clinical data were recorded. The cumulative probability of bDMARD discontinuation over 5 years of follow-up and factors associated with RA remission and bDMARD withdrawal were analyzed. RESULTS: Almost half (46%) of patients were initially treated with rituximab (RTX), with 33% treated with etanercept (ETN) and 21% with infliximab (IFX). Fewer than 10% were subsequently switched to a second bDMARD. The 1- and 5-year remission rates in patients continuing their first bDMARD were 7.2% and 21.5%, respectively. At 5 years, the drug survival rates for RTX, ETN and IFX were 50%, 25% and 22%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that RTX was significantly associated with highest drug survival. Relative to RTX, the hazard ratios for discontinuation of IFX and ETN were 2.60 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53-4.42) and 2.15 (95% CI 1.36-3.42), respectively. Thirty-nine percent of patients stopped treatments, due to inadequate response (42%), serious adverse events (22%), nonadherence (14%) or remission/low disease activity (13%). CONCLUSION: Over 5 years, only one-third of patients continued using their first bDMARD. The leading cause of drug discontinuation was inadequate response.