Abstract
Objectives. We examined whether the addition of another conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to methotrexate (MTX) upon infliximab (IFX) discontinuation in well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients could suppress subsequent disease flare. Methods. RA patients maintaining DAS28-CRP (Disease Activity Score of 28 joints with C-reactive protein) scores < 2.6 for ≥ 6 months with IFX were randomized either to receive addition of bucillamine (BUC) to MTX (BUC + MTX group; n = 24) or not (MTX group; n = 31) upon discontinuing IFX. The primary endpoint was the flare rate within 2 years of IFX discontinuation. Results. Six patients discontinuing MTX during the study were excluded from analyses. Seventeen patients (63.0%) experienced flares in the MTX group, which was significantly reduced in the BUC + MTX group (31.8%; p = 0.045). Further, the flare rates differed significantly between remission and non-remission by a Boolean definition upon IFX discontinuation in the MTX group (40.0% vs. 91.7%, respectively; p = 0.014), but they were comparable in the BUC + MTX group. BUC treatment was interrupted in seven patients due to rash, proteinuria and incompliance. Conclusions. DMARDs combination therapy may be a better treatment strategy than MTX monotherapy for maintaining RA control after successful discontinuation of biological agents.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 561-566 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Modern Rheumatology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Biological agents
- Bucillamine
- DMARD combination
- Flare
- Remission
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rheumatology
Cite this
Addition of another disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug to methotrexate reduces the flare rate within 2 years after infliximab discontinuation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis : An open, randomized, controlled trial. / Kurasawa, Takahiko; Nagasawa, Hayato; Kishimoto, Mayumi; Amano, Koichi; Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Kameda, Hideto.
In: Modern Rheumatology, Vol. 24, No. 4, 2014, p. 561-566.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Addition of another disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug to methotrexate reduces the flare rate within 2 years after infliximab discontinuation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
T2 - An open, randomized, controlled trial
AU - Kurasawa, Takahiko
AU - Nagasawa, Hayato
AU - Kishimoto, Mayumi
AU - Amano, Koichi
AU - Takeuchi, Tsutomu
AU - Kameda, Hideto
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Objectives. We examined whether the addition of another conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to methotrexate (MTX) upon infliximab (IFX) discontinuation in well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients could suppress subsequent disease flare. Methods. RA patients maintaining DAS28-CRP (Disease Activity Score of 28 joints with C-reactive protein) scores < 2.6 for ≥ 6 months with IFX were randomized either to receive addition of bucillamine (BUC) to MTX (BUC + MTX group; n = 24) or not (MTX group; n = 31) upon discontinuing IFX. The primary endpoint was the flare rate within 2 years of IFX discontinuation. Results. Six patients discontinuing MTX during the study were excluded from analyses. Seventeen patients (63.0%) experienced flares in the MTX group, which was significantly reduced in the BUC + MTX group (31.8%; p = 0.045). Further, the flare rates differed significantly between remission and non-remission by a Boolean definition upon IFX discontinuation in the MTX group (40.0% vs. 91.7%, respectively; p = 0.014), but they were comparable in the BUC + MTX group. BUC treatment was interrupted in seven patients due to rash, proteinuria and incompliance. Conclusions. DMARDs combination therapy may be a better treatment strategy than MTX monotherapy for maintaining RA control after successful discontinuation of biological agents.
AB - Objectives. We examined whether the addition of another conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to methotrexate (MTX) upon infliximab (IFX) discontinuation in well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients could suppress subsequent disease flare. Methods. RA patients maintaining DAS28-CRP (Disease Activity Score of 28 joints with C-reactive protein) scores < 2.6 for ≥ 6 months with IFX were randomized either to receive addition of bucillamine (BUC) to MTX (BUC + MTX group; n = 24) or not (MTX group; n = 31) upon discontinuing IFX. The primary endpoint was the flare rate within 2 years of IFX discontinuation. Results. Six patients discontinuing MTX during the study were excluded from analyses. Seventeen patients (63.0%) experienced flares in the MTX group, which was significantly reduced in the BUC + MTX group (31.8%; p = 0.045). Further, the flare rates differed significantly between remission and non-remission by a Boolean definition upon IFX discontinuation in the MTX group (40.0% vs. 91.7%, respectively; p = 0.014), but they were comparable in the BUC + MTX group. BUC treatment was interrupted in seven patients due to rash, proteinuria and incompliance. Conclusions. DMARDs combination therapy may be a better treatment strategy than MTX monotherapy for maintaining RA control after successful discontinuation of biological agents.
KW - Biological agents
KW - Bucillamine
KW - DMARD combination
KW - Flare
KW - Remission
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903735257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84903735257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/14397595.2013.844886
DO - 10.3109/14397595.2013.844886
M3 - Article
C2 - 24252035
AN - SCOPUS:84903735257
VL - 24
SP - 561
EP - 566
JO - Modern Rheumatology
JF - Modern Rheumatology
SN - 1439-7595
IS - 4
ER -