The early clinical course of infliximab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis: results from the REMARK observational study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to describe patterns of disease activity during infliximab plus methotrexate (MTX) treatment and explore C-reactive protein (CRP) as a potential marker of early response.

METHODS

REMARK was a phase IV, open-label, observational study of infliximab-naïve adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received infliximab 3 mg/kg plus MTX for 14 weeks. Treatment response was evaluated in 3 subgroups: patients with <1 year disease duration who were TNF-inhibitor (TNFi)-naïve, patients with ≥ 1 year disease duration who were TNFi-naïve, and patients who had previous TNFi failure or intolerance. In post hoc analyses, CRP kinetic profiles were analysed by EULAR response (good, moderate, non-response) in REMARK and in an independent replication with data from the ASPIRE study.

RESULTS

In the efficacy-evaluable population (n=662), median 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) improved from baseline to Week 14 (5.2 vs. 3.6, p<0.0001). Regardless of disease history subgroup, most patients had good or moderate EULAR responses at Weeks 2 (64.9%), 6 (74.1%), and 14 (73.6%). DAS28 and its components did not differ across patient subgroups. Disease flare occurred in 16.2% of patients. CRP levels declined markedly at Week 2, but patients who were EULAR non-responders at Week 14 showed a CRP rebound at Weeks 6 and 14. This CRP pattern was independently replicated in data from ASPIRE. Adverse events were consistent with the known risk profile of infliximab.

CONCLUSIONS

Infliximab plus MTX treatment in patients with RA rapidly diminished disease activity. A unique pattern of CRP rebound was found in non-responders early in treatment.

Positivity for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide is associated with a better response to abatacept: data from the 'Orencia and Rheumatoid Arthritis' registry

OBJECTIVES

Very limited data are available regarding the efficacy of abatacept (ABA) in real life. The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of ABA in rheumatoid arthritis and predicting factors of efficacy in common practice.

METHODS

The Orencia and Rheumatoid Arthritis" (ORA) prospective registry, promoted by the French Society of Rheumatology, has included 1003 patients with RA.

RESULTS

773 patients had already fulfilled the 6-month follow-up visit. Only 21.3% of patients would have fulfilled inclusion criteria used in pivotal controlled trials. The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response, was observed in 330 (59.1%) of the 558 assessed patients (good response: 20.4%, moderate response: 38.7%) and was similar in patients who did and in patients who did not fulfill inclusion criteria of controlled trials. Among EULAR responders, initial 28-joint disease activity score (5.4 (4.7-6.5) in responders vs 4.9 (4.0-6.0) in non responders, p< 0.0001), the proportion of rheumatoid factor (75.6% vs 66.7%, p= 0.03) and the proportion of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP)-positivity (75.9% vs 62.2%, p= 0.001) were significantly higher. In multivariate analysis adjusted on initial 28-joint disease activity score and CRP, anti-CCP positivity was associated with EULAR response (OR=1.9;95% CI=1.2 to 2.9, p=0.007), but not rheumatoid factor (OR=1.0;95% CI=0.6 to 1.6, p=0.9). Anti-CCP positivity was also significantly associated with a higher ABA retention rate at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Real life efficacy of ABA in the ORA registry was similar as that reported in clinical trials. Anti-CCP positivity was associated with a better response to ABA, independently from disease activity.

[Lyme disease with hepatitis and corticosteroids: a case report]

INTRODUCTION

Abnormalities of liver function tests have been occasionally described in large series of Lyme disease, but only one case of hepatitis directly related to infection have been described in literature.

CASE REPORT

A 78-year-old-man, with a past medical history of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) who had discontinued corticosteroids two years before, presented a transient acute fever and liver cholestasis and cytolysis after an exposure to tick bites. A few days later, cervical pain occurred and corticosteroids were resumed as a PMR relapse was suspected. Hematogenous dissemination with acute meningoradiculitis and multiple erythema migrans led to conclude to a stage 2 Lyme disease.

CONCLUSION

Although hepatitis complicating the course of Lyme disease has been described in literature, the marked inflammation in our patient led us to investigate the possibility of a co-infection. Also, we discuss the responsibility of corticosteroids in clinical worsening of Lyme disease if they are prescribed without concomitant antibiotics.

Effects of habitat on individual reproductive success of mature male parr of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

The effect of the presence of stone blocks in the spawning habitat on the reproductive success of mature male parr of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar of various sizes and ages was tested in an artificial channel. Shelters allowed smaller individuals to contribute to egg fertilization as much as large parr, suggesting that the size-based dominance observed in a shelterless habitat was not maintained in a more complex habitat.

Lymphoma in patients treated with anti-TNF: results of the 3-year prospective French RATIO registry

OBJECTIVE

To describe cases of lymphoma associated with anti-TNF therapy, identify risk factors, estimate the incidence and compare the risks for different anti-TNF agents.

METHODS

A national prospective registry was designed (Research Axed on Tolerance of bIOtherapies; RATIO) to collect all cases of lymphoma in French patients receiving anti-TNF therapy from 2004 to 2006, whatever the indication. A case-control analysis was conducted including two controls treated with anti-TNF per case and an incidence study of lymphoma with the French population was used as the reference.

RESULTS

38 cases of lymphoma, 31 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (26 B cell and five T cell), five Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and two Hodgkin's-like lymphoma were collected. Epstein-Barr virus was detected in both of two Hodgkin's-like lymphoma, three of five HL and one NHL. Patients receiving adalimumab or infliximab had a higher risk than those treated with etanercept: standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 4.1 (2.3-7.1) and 3.6 (2.3-5.6) versus 0.9 (0.4-1.8). The exposure to adalimumab or infliximab versus etanercept was an independent risk factor for lymphoma in the case-control study: odds ratio 4.7 (1.3-17.7) and 4.1 (1.4-12.5), respectively. The sex and age-adjusted incidence rate of lymphoma was 42.1 per 100 000 patient-years. The SIR was 2.4 (95% CI 1.7 to 3.2).

CONCLUSION

The two to threefold increased risk of lymphoma in patients receiving anti-TNF therapy is similar to that expected for such patients with severe inflammatory diseases. Some lymphomas associated with immunosuppression may occur, and the risk of lymphoma is higher with monoclonal-antibody therapy than with soluble-receptor therapy.