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Is Swollen to Tender Joint Count Ratio a New and Useful Clinical Marker for Biologic Drug Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis? Results From a Swedish Cohort

Kristensen, Lars Erik LU ; Bliddal, Henning ; Christensen, Robin ; Karlsson, Johan LU ; Gülfe, Anders LU ; Saxne, Tore LU and Geborek, Pierre LU (2014) In Arthritis Care and Research 66(2). p.173-179
Abstract
ObjectiveTo study the impact of swollen to tender joint count ratio (STR) and other baseline characteristics on treatment response to a first course of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. MethodsPatients with RA initiating their first course of anti-TNF treatment were included in a structured clinical followup protocol. Based on pragmatic thresholds and plausibility, patients were categorized as having low (STR <0.5), moderate (0.5 STR 1.0), or high (STR >1.0) joint count ratios. The data were collected and followed during the period of March 1999 through December 2010. ResultsA total of 2,507 patients were included in the study (median age 56 years, 78% women). Of these patients, 344... (More)
ObjectiveTo study the impact of swollen to tender joint count ratio (STR) and other baseline characteristics on treatment response to a first course of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. MethodsPatients with RA initiating their first course of anti-TNF treatment were included in a structured clinical followup protocol. Based on pragmatic thresholds and plausibility, patients were categorized as having low (STR <0.5), moderate (0.5 STR 1.0), or high (STR >1.0) joint count ratios. The data were collected and followed during the period of March 1999 through December 2010. ResultsA total of 2,507 patients were included in the study (median age 56 years, 78% women). Of these patients, 344 (14%) had a low STR, 1,180 (47%) had a moderate STR, and 983 (39%) had a high STR. According to these STR thresholds, 23% of patients (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 18-29%) with low, 39% (95% CI 35-43%) with moderate, and 40% (95% CI 36-44%) with high STR achieved the American College of Rheumatology criteria for 50% improvement (ACR50) response at 6 months after initiation. Correlation tests showed that STR was associated with ACR50 response independent of both swollen and tender joint counts. Logistic regression analysis consistently showed that moderate STR, high STR, not using prednisolone, high baseline Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, and low baseline Health Assessment Questionnaire scores were significantly associated with favorable ACR50 response with odds ratios of 1.93 (P < 0.01), 2.82 (P < 0.01), 0.65 (P < 0.01), 1.49 (P < 0.01), and 0.47 (P < 0.01), respectively. ConclusionSTR is a new and feasible predictor of treatment response in RA. RA patients with a moderate to high STR have a 2- to 3-fold increased likelihood of responding according to ACR50 criteria. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Arthritis Care and Research
volume
66
issue
2
pages
173 - 179
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000330266100002
  • scopus:84893429521
ISSN
2151-4658
DOI
10.1002/acr.22107
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b5b71d35-a16c-4004-a013-eff6f1e8c81d (old id 4318512)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:45:06
date last changed
2022-04-04 20:55:42
@article{b5b71d35-a16c-4004-a013-eff6f1e8c81d,
  abstract     = {{ObjectiveTo study the impact of swollen to tender joint count ratio (STR) and other baseline characteristics on treatment response to a first course of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. MethodsPatients with RA initiating their first course of anti-TNF treatment were included in a structured clinical followup protocol. Based on pragmatic thresholds and plausibility, patients were categorized as having low (STR &lt;0.5), moderate (0.5 STR 1.0), or high (STR &gt;1.0) joint count ratios. The data were collected and followed during the period of March 1999 through December 2010. ResultsA total of 2,507 patients were included in the study (median age 56 years, 78% women). Of these patients, 344 (14%) had a low STR, 1,180 (47%) had a moderate STR, and 983 (39%) had a high STR. According to these STR thresholds, 23% of patients (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 18-29%) with low, 39% (95% CI 35-43%) with moderate, and 40% (95% CI 36-44%) with high STR achieved the American College of Rheumatology criteria for 50% improvement (ACR50) response at 6 months after initiation. Correlation tests showed that STR was associated with ACR50 response independent of both swollen and tender joint counts. Logistic regression analysis consistently showed that moderate STR, high STR, not using prednisolone, high baseline Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, and low baseline Health Assessment Questionnaire scores were significantly associated with favorable ACR50 response with odds ratios of 1.93 (P &lt; 0.01), 2.82 (P &lt; 0.01), 0.65 (P &lt; 0.01), 1.49 (P &lt; 0.01), and 0.47 (P &lt; 0.01), respectively. ConclusionSTR is a new and feasible predictor of treatment response in RA. RA patients with a moderate to high STR have a 2- to 3-fold increased likelihood of responding according to ACR50 criteria.}},
  author       = {{Kristensen, Lars Erik and Bliddal, Henning and Christensen, Robin and Karlsson, Johan and Gülfe, Anders and Saxne, Tore and Geborek, Pierre}},
  issn         = {{2151-4658}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{173--179}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Arthritis Care and Research}},
  title        = {{Is Swollen to Tender Joint Count Ratio a New and Useful Clinical Marker for Biologic Drug Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis? Results From a Swedish Cohort}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/acr.22107}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/acr.22107}},
  volume       = {{66}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}