Remission in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis by tocilizumab treatment in routine clinical practice: results from 3 years of prospectively registered data. Issue 2 (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nakashima, Yasuharu; Kondo, Masakazu; Fukuda, Takaaki; Harada, Hiroshi; Horiuchi, Takahiko; Ishinishi, Takashi; Jojima, Hiroshi; Kuroda, Koji; Miyahara, Hisaaki; Maekawa, Masayuki; Nishizaka, Hiroaki; Nagamine, Ryuji; Nakashima, Hitoshi; Otsuka, Takeshi; Shono, Eisuke; Suematsu, Eiichi; Shimauchi, Takashi; Tsuru, Tomomi; Wada, Ken; Yoshizawa, Shigeru; Yoshizawa, Seiji; Iwamoto, Yukihide
• Is Part Of: Modern rheumatology. Volume 24:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 258
• Page End: 264
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Rheumatology -- Periodicals; 616.723005
• DOI: 10.3109/14397595.2013.854069
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1439-7595

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objectives.</italic> This study aimed to evaluate the remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with tocilizumab (TCZ), based on prospectively registered data in clinical practice.</p> <p> <italic>Methods.</italic> We studied 114 consecutive RA patients treated with TCZ for an average of 3.5 years. Remission was evaluated by using the EULAR criteria and the new ACR/EULAR Boolean-based criteria.</p> <p> <italic>Results.</italic> Among 114 patients (average age 52.2 years; average disease duration 10.6 years), 76 (67 %) had previously received anti-TNF biologics. Mean baseline DAS28-ESR of 5.4 and improved to 2.4 at 36 months. Overall, DAS28-ESR &lt;2.6 was attained by 66.7 %, while ACR/EULAR remission was attained by 35.1 %. ACR/EULAR remission rate was significantly higher in the patients who were biologics-naïve and had good response at the first month. Among 23 patients who completed the treatment for 3 years and had ACR/EULAR remission at 1 year, 15 (65 %) remained in the remission and 16 (70 %) had a DAS28-ESR &lt;2.6 at the final follow-up. The retention rate at 36 months was 68.2 %.</p> <p> <italic>Conclusions.</italic> In patients with RA, TCZ is highly effective for both biologics-naïve patients and patients previously exposed to biologics, achieving a high remission rate and drug continuation rate (68.2 %) in clinical practice.</p> </abstract>