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Clinical outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis switched to tocilizumab after etanercept or infliximab failure

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Abstract

The present study retrospectively assessed the efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who failed to respond to treatment with etanercept or infliximab. A retrospective study of 33 RA patients who did not respond to etanercept or infliximab was conducted. Responses of subjects switching from etanercept to tocilizumab (n = 17) were compared with those switching from infliximab to tocilizumab (n = 16). Treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs before the switch, especially methotrexate (MTX), was maintained. Disease activity was assessed by the Disease Activity Score 28-C Reactive Protein (DAS28-CRP), the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), and the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). Patients who switched from etanercept were significantly less likely to have used MTX and were significantly older than patients who switched from infliximab. In both groups, there was a significant reduction from baseline in DAS28-CRP, SDAI, and CDAI values at 24 weeks with no significant differences between groups. However, at week 52, DAS28-CRP, SDAI, and CDAI values in the group switched from etanercept were significantly worse than those in the group switched from infliximab. All patients switched from infliximab were using MTX. In the evaluation between patients who switched from etanercept monotherapy, etanercept plus MTX, and infliximab plus MTX, a significant improvement from baseline was seen in DAS28-CRP, SDAI, and CDAI for all patients at 24 weeks with no significant differences between groups. Disease activity was maintained at 52 weeks in the group that switched from etanercept plus MTX and infliximab plus MTX. However, the efficacy of tocilizumab was decreased in the group that switched from etanercept monotherapy. Switching from etanercept plus MTX or from infliximab plus MTX to tocilizumab plus MTX improved response to therapy, but switching from etanercept monotherapy to tocilizumab monotherapy did not improve response to therapy.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of Nishioka Medical for their generous cooperation.

Funding

No benefits or funds were received in support of the study.

Disclosures

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Hiroki Wakabayashi, Masahiro Hasegawa & Akihiro Sudo

  2. Clinical Research Institute for Rheumatic Disease, 375 Hasama, Isobe-cho, Shima, Mie, 517-0214, Japan

    Yosuke Nishioka & Yukari Minami

  3. Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjyuku, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan

    Kusuki Nishioka

Authors
  1. Hiroki Wakabayashi
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  2. Masahiro Hasegawa
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  3. Yosuke Nishioka
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  4. Yukari Minami
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  5. Kusuki Nishioka
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  6. Akihiro Sudo
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Correspondence to Hiroki Wakabayashi.

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Wakabayashi, H., Hasegawa, M., Nishioka, Y. et al. Clinical outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis switched to tocilizumab after etanercept or infliximab failure. Clin Rheumatol 32, 253–259 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-012-2118-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-012-2118-x

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