RESEARCH - Current TNF-alpha inhibitor use is associated with higher probability of remissions in RA

[Guest guest]

J Rheumatol. 2005 Sep;32(9):1662-5.

Current Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Inhibitor Use Is Associated with a

Higher Probability of Remissions in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Liang GC, Cordero M, Dyer A, Chang RW.

From the Departments of Medicine (Rheumatology Division) and Preventive

Medicine, Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center in Rheumatology,

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if current tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)

inhibitor use is associated with a higher probability of remission than

non-use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Clinical and

demographic data were collected from 322 patients with RA during regularly

scheduled clinic visits. Current and past medications were recorded. Disease

activity status (remission or not) was determined using American College of

Rheumatology preliminary criteria for clinical remission of RA. A logistic

regression analysis was used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios

(OR) for remission for current TNF-alpha inhibitor users versus non-users.

Multivariate analysis included age, gender, race, disease duration, use of

nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID), prednisone dosage, and numbers

of previously used disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD). RESULTS:

Of the 111 patients enrolled in the study who were users of TNF-alpha

inhibitors, 25.2% were found to be in clinical remission. Of the 211

patients who were non-users, 14.7% were in clinical remission. The

unadjusted OR for remission in TNF-alpha inhibitor users was 1.96 (95%

confidence interval, CI: 1.10 to 3.48). The adjusted OR was 2.74 (95% CI:

1.40 to 5.34).

CONCLUSION: Cross-sectional observations from an outpatient arthritis clinic

found a significantly higher remission rate in patients with RA taking a

TNF-alpha inhibitor compared to non-users.

PMID: 16142857

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

6142857 & dopt=Abstract

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org