Efficacy of tacrolimus in rheumatoid arthritis patients who have been treated unsuccessfully with methotrexate: a six-month, double-blind, randomized, dose-ranging study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy, safety, and optimal dose of tacrolimus monotherapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

This phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled monotherapy study was set in 12 community sites and 9 university-based sites. Two hundred sixty-eight patients with RA who were resistant to or intolerant of methotrexate (mean dose 15.2 mg/week) and had active disease for at least 6 months (mean tender joint count 28.2, mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate 46.5 mm/hour) were randomized to receive treatment after discontinuation of methotrexate. Those who received at least 1 dose of tacrolimus were analyzed; 141 completed the study. Stable dosages of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and low-dose prednisone were allowed during treatment. All patients were given 1, 3, or 5 mg of tacrolimus or placebo once daily for 24 weeks. The American College of Rheumatology definition of 20% improvement (ACR20) and the tender and swollen joint counts at the end of treatment were the primary outcomes.

RESULTS

ACR20 response rates demonstrated a clear dose response. The ACR20 response was observed in 15.5% of patients receiving placebo (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 7.1-23.9%), 29% of the 1 mg tacrolimus group (95% CI 18.3-39.7%) (P < 0.058); 34.4% of the 3 mg group (95% CI 22.7-46.0%) (P < 0.013), and 50% of the 5 mg group (95% CI 37.8-62.3%) (P < or = 0.001). The tender joint count improved statistically significantly in all tacrolimus groups. The swollen joint count, physical function, and patient-assessed pain improved statistically significantly in the 3 mg and 5 mg groups. The incidence of creatinine elevation > or =40% above baseline levels increased in a dose-dependent manner. Dropout rates were high (41-59%) and were more common for inefficacy in the placebo patients (71.4%), whereas they were more common for toxicity in the high-dose tacrolimus groups (31-33%). Discontinuation for creatinine elevation occurred in the 3 mg (3.1%) and 5 mg (10.9%) tacrolimus groups.

CONCLUSION

Tacrolimus improved disease activity in methotrexate-resistant or -intolerant patients with RA. A dose response was observed when efficacy and toxicity were assessed at different doses. The optimal dose of tacrolimus appears to be >1 mg but < or=3 mg daily.

Around-the-clock, controlled-release oxycodone therapy for osteoarthritis-related pain: placebo-controlled trial and long-term evaluation

BACKGROUND

Although opioid analgesics have well-defined efficacy and safety in treatment of chronic cancer pain, further research is needed to define their role in treatment of chronic noncancer pain.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of controlled-release oxycodone (OxyContin tablets) treatment on pain and function and its safety vs placebo and in long-term use in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain.

METHODS

One hundred thirty-three patients experiencing persistent osteoarthritis-related pain for at least 1 month were randomized to double-blind treatment with placebo (n = 45) or 10 mg (n = 44) or 20 mg (n = 44) of controlled-release oxycodone every 12 hours for 14 days. One hundred six patients enrolled in an open-label, 6-month extension trial; treatment for an additional 12 months was optional.

RESULTS

Use of controlled-release oxycodone, 20 mg, was superior (P<.05) to placebo in reducing pain intensity and the interference of pain with mood, sleep, and enjoyment of life. During long-term treatment, the mean dose remained stable at approximately 40 mg/d after titration, and pain intensity was stable. Fifty-eight patients completed 6 months of treatment, 41 completed 12 months, and 15 completed 18 months. Common opioid side effects were reported, several of which decreased in duration as therapy continued.

CONCLUSIONS

Around-the-clock controlled-release oxycodone therapy seemed to be effective and safe for patients with chronic, moderate to severe, osteo-arthritis-related pain. Effective analgesia was accompanied by a reduction in the interference of pain with mood, sleep, and enjoyment of life. Analgesia was maintained during long-term treatment, and the daily dose remained stable after titration. Typical opioid side effects were reported during short- and long-term therapy.

Effect of pregnancy on immune complexes and rheumatoid factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with circulating and intra-articular immune complexes and rheumatoid factors. The clinical activity of rheumatoid arthritis improves during pregnancy in the majority of women, with exacerbation following delivery. Concentrations of immune complexes, as detected by the Clq-binding assay, the Clq-solid phase assay, and the monoclonal rheumatoid factor-solid phase assay, decreased during gestation, with elevations following delivery. Concentrations of IgM-rheumatoid factor and IgG-rheumatoid factor, analyzed by radioimmunoassay, changed variably during pregnancy, increasing in some patients and decreasing in others. When examined serially before, during, and following pregnancy, changes in the concentration of circulating immune complexes and/or rheumatoid factors corresponded with the clinical changes in three patients. These observations document the significant effect of gestation on the concentration of circulating immune complexes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. They also support the role of these laboratory tests in monitoring the clinical course of rheumatoid arthritis.