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Efficacy and tolerability of anti-TNF therapy in psoriatic arthritis patients: Results from the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group Register.

Kristensen, Lars Erik LU ; Gülfe, Anders LU ; Saxne, Tore LU and Geborek, Pierre LU (2008) In Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 67. p.364-369
Abstract
Background: The use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blocking agents in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is increasing, and the SSATG register has followed patients with PsA for more than 5 years. The aim of the present work therefore was to present efficacy and tolerability data of TNF-blocking agents on PsA in clinical practice, and to study potential predictors for drug survival (the length of time a patient continues to take a particular drug).



Materials and methods: Patients (n = 261) with active PsA, starting anti-TNF therapy for the first time in southern Sweden, were included. Basal characteristics, disease activity measures, and termination reason for blockers were prospectively collected during the period April 1999 to... (More)
Background: The use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blocking agents in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is increasing, and the SSATG register has followed patients with PsA for more than 5 years. The aim of the present work therefore was to present efficacy and tolerability data of TNF-blocking agents on PsA in clinical practice, and to study potential predictors for drug survival (the length of time a patient continues to take a particular drug).



Materials and methods: Patients (n = 261) with active PsA, starting anti-TNF therapy for the first time in southern Sweden, were included. Basal characteristics, disease activity measures, and termination reason for blockers were prospectively collected during the period April 1999 to September 2006. Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate predictors for treatment termination.



Results: Overall, response rates at 3–12 months for global visual analogue scale (VASglobal50) and pain VAS (VASpain50) were about 50%, whereas response rates for European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) scoring "overall" and EULAR "good" were around 75% and 55%, respectively. Concomitant methotrexate (MTX) (hazard ratio (HR) 0.64, 95% CI 0.39–0.95, p = 0.03), etanercept (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28–0.86, p = 0.01), and high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.97, p = 0.03) at treatment initiation were associated with better overall drug survival. The improved drug survival of concomitant MTX appeared to be related to significantly fewer dropouts because of adverse events (HR = 0.24 (0.11–0.52), p<0.01). The blockers were well tolerated with a rate of serious adverse events of 5–6% per year. No unexpected serious adverse events were observed.



Conclusion: Concomitant MTX and high CRP levels are associated with treatment continuation of anti-TNF therapy in patients with PsA regardless of joint distribution. The positive effect of MTX was primarily linked to fewer dropouts because of adverse events. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
volume
67
pages
364 - 369
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000253443600015
  • scopus:39549105616
  • pmid:17644547
ISSN
1468-2060
DOI
10.1136/ard.2007.073544
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
db4e7ee8-fabc-4dd1-8325-1d49f94db7e5 (old id 540576)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:09:03
date last changed
2022-01-27 23:01:21
@article{db4e7ee8-fabc-4dd1-8325-1d49f94db7e5,
  abstract     = {{Background: The use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blocking agents in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is increasing, and the SSATG register has followed patients with PsA for more than 5 years. The aim of the present work therefore was to present efficacy and tolerability data of TNF-blocking agents on PsA in clinical practice, and to study potential predictors for drug survival (the length of time a patient continues to take a particular drug).<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Materials and methods: Patients (n = 261) with active PsA, starting anti-TNF therapy for the first time in southern Sweden, were included. Basal characteristics, disease activity measures, and termination reason for blockers were prospectively collected during the period April 1999 to September 2006. Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate predictors for treatment termination.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results: Overall, response rates at 3–12 months for global visual analogue scale (VASglobal50) and pain VAS (VASpain50) were about 50%, whereas response rates for European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) scoring "overall" and EULAR "good" were around 75% and 55%, respectively. Concomitant methotrexate (MTX) (hazard ratio (HR) 0.64, 95% CI 0.39–0.95, p = 0.03), etanercept (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28–0.86, p = 0.01), and high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.97, p = 0.03) at treatment initiation were associated with better overall drug survival. The improved drug survival of concomitant MTX appeared to be related to significantly fewer dropouts because of adverse events (HR = 0.24 (0.11–0.52), p&lt;0.01). The blockers were well tolerated with a rate of serious adverse events of 5–6% per year. No unexpected serious adverse events were observed.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusion: Concomitant MTX and high CRP levels are associated with treatment continuation of anti-TNF therapy in patients with PsA regardless of joint distribution. The positive effect of MTX was primarily linked to fewer dropouts because of adverse events.}},
  author       = {{Kristensen, Lars Erik and Gülfe, Anders and Saxne, Tore and Geborek, Pierre}},
  issn         = {{1468-2060}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{364--369}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases}},
  title        = {{Efficacy and tolerability of anti-TNF therapy in psoriatic arthritis patients: Results from the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group Register.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3816613/626062.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/ard.2007.073544}},
  volume       = {{67}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}