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Dose escalation of infliximab therapy in arthritis patients is related to diagnosis and concomitant methotrexate treatment: observational results from the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group register.

Kristensen, Lars Erik LU ; Geborek, Pierre LU and Saxne, Tore LU (2009) In Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 48. p.243-245
Abstract
Objective. To study frequency of dose escalation in infliximab-treated patients and to identify possible predictors thereof. Methods. Patients with chronic arthritis initiating their first course of anti-TNF treatment with infliximab at Lund University Hospital were included in a structured clinical follow-up protocol. Information on diagnosis, drug dosage, disease duration, previous and ongoing DMARDs, treatment start and cessation were prospectively collected during the period March 1999 through February 2007. All patients were started on a dose of 3 mg/kg at time 0, week 2, week 6 and then every eighth week independent of diagnosis and were followed for a period of 2 yrs. Results. A total of 206 patients were included in the study.... (More)
Objective. To study frequency of dose escalation in infliximab-treated patients and to identify possible predictors thereof. Methods. Patients with chronic arthritis initiating their first course of anti-TNF treatment with infliximab at Lund University Hospital were included in a structured clinical follow-up protocol. Information on diagnosis, drug dosage, disease duration, previous and ongoing DMARDs, treatment start and cessation were prospectively collected during the period March 1999 through February 2007. All patients were started on a dose of 3 mg/kg at time 0, week 2, week 6 and then every eighth week independent of diagnosis and were followed for a period of 2 yrs. Results. A total of 206 patients were included in the study. Thirty-two of the patients had PsA, 25 had AS and 149 patients had RA. A minor dose escalation, defined as less than doubling of the dosage, was observed for 53, 48 and 42% of the patients with PsA, AS and RA, respectively. The corresponding values for major dose escalation was observed for 19, 8 and 15% of the patients, respectively. Regression analysis showed that patients with a diagnosis of PsA (P = 0.03), longer follow-up period (P < 0.01), and lack of concomitant MTX treatment (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with risk of dose escalation. Conclusion. Dose escalations were performed in 59% of all infliximab-treated patients during the first 2 yrs of treatment. Our data suggest that PsA patients might require higher dosages than RA and AS patients. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
volume
48
pages
243 - 245
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000263603500007
  • pmid:19106164
  • scopus:61349195963
  • pmid:19106164
ISSN
1462-0332
DOI
10.1093/rheumatology/ken467
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a6af3237-0a3e-46ff-a8aa-c673b125bfdb (old id 1275950)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19106164?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:41:24
date last changed
2022-01-29 19:05:01
@article{a6af3237-0a3e-46ff-a8aa-c673b125bfdb,
  abstract     = {{Objective. To study frequency of dose escalation in infliximab-treated patients and to identify possible predictors thereof. Methods. Patients with chronic arthritis initiating their first course of anti-TNF treatment with infliximab at Lund University Hospital were included in a structured clinical follow-up protocol. Information on diagnosis, drug dosage, disease duration, previous and ongoing DMARDs, treatment start and cessation were prospectively collected during the period March 1999 through February 2007. All patients were started on a dose of 3 mg/kg at time 0, week 2, week 6 and then every eighth week independent of diagnosis and were followed for a period of 2 yrs. Results. A total of 206 patients were included in the study. Thirty-two of the patients had PsA, 25 had AS and 149 patients had RA. A minor dose escalation, defined as less than doubling of the dosage, was observed for 53, 48 and 42% of the patients with PsA, AS and RA, respectively. The corresponding values for major dose escalation was observed for 19, 8 and 15% of the patients, respectively. Regression analysis showed that patients with a diagnosis of PsA (P = 0.03), longer follow-up period (P &lt; 0.01), and lack of concomitant MTX treatment (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with risk of dose escalation. Conclusion. Dose escalations were performed in 59% of all infliximab-treated patients during the first 2 yrs of treatment. Our data suggest that PsA patients might require higher dosages than RA and AS patients.}},
  author       = {{Kristensen, Lars Erik and Geborek, Pierre and Saxne, Tore}},
  issn         = {{1462-0332}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{243--245}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Rheumatology (Oxford, England)}},
  title        = {{Dose escalation of infliximab therapy in arthritis patients is related to diagnosis and concomitant methotrexate treatment: observational results from the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group register.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/ken467}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/rheumatology/ken467}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}