Probability of continued low disease activity in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis treated according to the disease activity score

Objectives:To compare the efficacy of Disease Activity Score (DAS)-driven therapy and routine care in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis.Methods:Patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis receiving traditional antirheumatic therapy from either the BeSt study, a randomised controlled trial comparing different treatment strategies (group A), or two Early Arthritis Clinics (group B) were included. In group A, systematic DAS-driven treatment adjustments aimed to achieve low disease activity (DAS ⩽2.4). In group B, treatment was left to the discretion of the treating doctor. Functional ability (Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)), Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) and Sharp/van der Heijde radiographic score (SHS) were evaluated.Results:At baseline, patients in group A (n = 234) and group B (n = 201) had comparable demographic characteristics and a mean HAQ of 1.4. Group A had a longer median disease duration than group B (0.5 vs 0.4 years, p = 0.016), a higher mean DAS28 (6.1 vs 5.7, p<0.001), more rheumatoid factor-positive patients (66% vs 42%, p<0.001) and more patients with erosions (71% vs 53%, p<0.001). After 1 year, the HAQ improvement was 0.7 vs 0.5 (p = 0.029), and the percentage in remission (DAS28 <2.6) 31% vs 18% (p<0.005) in groups A and B, respectively. In group A, the median SHS progression was 2.0 (expected progression 7.0), in group B, the SHS progression was 1.0 (expected progression 4.4).Conclusions:In patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis receiving traditional treatment, systematic DAS-driven therapy results in significantly better clinical improvement and possibly improves the suppression of joint damage progression.

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Timing and Magnitude of Initial Change in Disease Activity Score 28 Predicts the Likelihood of Achieving Low Disease Activity at 1 Year in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated with Certolizumab Pegol: A Post-hoc Analysis of the RAPID 1 Trial

The Journal of Rheumatology ◽

10.3899/jrheum.111171 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 39 (7) ◽

pp. 1326-1333 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

DÉSIRÉE VAN DER HEIJDE ◽

EDWARD C. KEYSTONE ◽

JEFFREY R. CURTIS ◽

ROBERT B. LANDEWÉ ◽

MICHAEL H. SCHIFF ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Disease Activity Score ◽

Certolizumab Pegol ◽

Activity Score ◽

Clinical Trial Registration ◽

Low Disease Activity ◽

Post Hoc Analysis ◽

Link Type ◽

Post Hoc

Objective.To determine the relationship between timing and magnitude of Disease Activity Score [DAS28(ESR)] nonresponse (DAS28 improvement thresholds not reached) during the first 12 weeks of treatment with certolizumab pegol (CZP) plus methotrexate, and the likelihood of achieving low disease activity (LDA) at 1 year in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods.In a post-hoc analysis of the RAPID 1 study, patients achieving LDA [DAS28(ESR) ≤ 3.2] at Year 1 were assessed according to DAS28 nonresponse at various timepoints within the first 12 weeks.Results.Seven-hundred eighty-three patients were included (CZP 200 mg, n = 393; CZP 400 mg, n = 390). A total of 86.9% of patients in the CZP 200 mg group had a DAS28 improvement of ≥ 1.2 by Week 12. Of the 13.1% of patients with DAS28 improvement < 1.2 by Week 12, only 2.0% had LDA at Year 1. Failure to achieve LDA at Year 1 depended on timing of nonresponse — 22.3%, 8.4%, and 2.0% of patients with DAS28 improvement < 1.2 by Weeks 1, 6, and 12, respectively, had LDA at Year 1 — and magnitude of initial lack of DAS28 improvement; for example, compared with the patients with DAS28 < 1.2 improvement, fewer patients with DAS28 < 0.6 had LDA at Year 1 (17.4%, 2.4%, and 0.0% at Weeks 1, 6, and 12, respectively).Conclusion.Failure to achieve improvement in DAS28 within the first 12 weeks of therapy was predictive of a low probability of achieving LDA at Year 1. Moreover, the accuracy of the prediction was found to be strongly dependent on the magnitude and timing of the lack of the response. (Clinical Trial Registration Nos. NCT00152386 and NCT00175877).

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Disease activity score-driven therapy versus routine care in patients with recent-onset active rheumatoid arthritis: data from the GUEPARD trial and ESPOIR cohort

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/ard.2010.137695 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 611-615 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

M Soubrier ◽

C Lukas ◽

J Sibilia ◽

B Fautrel ◽

F Roux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Active Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity Score ◽

Routine Care ◽

Activity Score ◽

Control Group ◽

Tight Control ◽

Radiological Progression ◽

Recent Onset

ObjectivesTo compare the efficacy of disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28ESR)-driven therapy with anti-tumour necrosis factor (patients from the GUEPARD trial) and routine care in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis (patients of the ESPOIR cohort).ResultsAfter matching GUEPARD and ESPOIR patients on the basis of a propensity score and a 1:2 ratio, at baseline all patients had comparable demographic characteristics, rheumatoid factor, anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody positivity and clinical disease activity parameters: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, mean DAS (6.26±0.87), Sharp/van der Heijde radiographic score (SHS), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ). Disease duration was longer in GUEPARD patients (5.6±4.6 vs 3.5±2.0 months, p<0.001). After 1 year, the percentage of patients in remission with an HAQ (<0.5) and an absence of radiological progression was higher in the tight control group (32.3% vs 10.2%, p=0.011) as well as the percentage of patients in low DAS with an HAQ (<0.5) and an absence of radiological progression (36.1% vs 18.9%, p=0.045). However, there was no difference in the decrease in DAS, nor in the percentage of EULAR (good and moderate), ACR20, ACR50 and ACR70 responses. More patients in the tight control group had an HAQ below 0.5 (70.2% vs 45.2%, p=0.005). Overall, pain, patient and physician assessment and fatigue decreased more in the tight control group. The mean SHS progression was similar in the two groups as was the percentage of patients without progression.ConclusionsIn patients with recent onset active rheumatoid arthritis, a tight control of disease activity allows more patients to achieve remission without disability and radiographic progression.

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