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Fernandez-Ruiz R, Bornkamp N, Kim MY, Askanase A, Zezon A, Tseng CE, Belmont HM, Saxena A, Salmon JE, Lockshin M, Buyon JP, Izmirly PM. Discontinuation of hydroxychloroquine in older patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a multicenter retrospective study. Arthritis Res Ther 2020; 22:191. [PMID: 32807233 PMCID: PMC7430013 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-02282-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a mainstay of treatment for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ocular toxicity can result from accumulated exposure. As the longevity of patients with SLE improves, data are needed to balance the risk of ocular toxicity and the risk of disease flare, especially in older patients with quiescent disease. Accordingly, this study was initiated to examine the safety of HCQ withdrawal in older SLE patients. Methods Data were obtained by retrospective chart review at three major lupus centers in New York City. Twenty-six patients who discontinued HCQ and thirty-two patients on HCQ matched for gender, race/ethnicity, and age were included in this study. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a lupus flare classified by the revised version of the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus: National Assessment version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) Flare composite index, within 1 year of HCQ withdrawal or matched time of continuation. Results Five patients (19.2%) in the HCQ withdrawal group compared to five (15.6%) in the HCQ continuation group experienced a flare of any severity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.28; 95% CI 0.31, 5.30; p = 0.73). There were no severe flares in either group. The results were similar after adjusting for length of SLE, number of American College of Rheumatology criteria, low complement levels, and SELENA-SLEDAI score, and in a propensity score analysis (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 0.23, 6.16; p = 0.84). The analysis of time to any flare revealed a non-significant earlier time to flare in the HCQ withdrawal group (log-rank p = 0.67). Most flares were in the cutaneous and musculoskeletal systems, but one patient in the continuation group developed pericarditis. The most common reason for HCQ withdrawal was retinal toxicity (42.3%), followed by patient’s preference (34.6%), other confirmed or suspected adverse effects (15.4%), ophthalmologist recommendation for macular degeneration (3.8%), and rheumatologist recommendation for quiescent SLE (3.8%). Conclusions In this retrospective study of older stable patients with SLE on long-term HCQ, withdrawal did not significantly increase the risk of flares.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Fernandez-Ruiz
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nicole Bornkamp
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mimi Y Kim
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anca Askanase
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Zezon
- Division of Rheumatology, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood, NJ, USA
| | - Chung-E Tseng
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - H Michael Belmont
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amit Saxena
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jane E Salmon
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Lockshin
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jill P Buyon
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter M Izmirly
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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