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OBJECTIVES: To compare the safety of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) with that of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and determine drug persistence among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA). METHODS: We analysed data from patients included in BIOBADASER 3.0 and treated with JAKi or TNFi from 2015 to 2023 and estimated the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of adverse events and persistence. RESULTS: A total of 6826 patients were included. Of these, 52% had RA, 25% psoriatic arthritis and 23% axial SpA. Treatment was with TNFi in 86%. The mean duration of treatment was 2.2±2.0 years with TNFi versus 1.8±1.5 with JAKi. JAKis were prescribed in older patients with longer term disease, greater comorbidity and later treatment lines and more frequently as monotherapy. The IRR of all infections and gastrointestinal events was higher among patients with RA treated with JAKi. Drug persistence at 1, 2 and 3 years was 69%, 55% and 45% for TNFi and 68%, 54% and 45% for JAKi. Multivariate regression models showed a lower probability of discontinuation for JAKi (HR=0.85; 95% CI 0.78-0.92) and concomitant conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (HR=0.90; 95% CI 0.84-0.96). The risk of discontinuation increased with glucocorticoids, comorbidities, greater disease activity and later treatment lines. CONCLUSIONS: Infections, herpes zoster and gastrointestinal adverse events in patients with RA tended to be more frequent with JAKi. However, prognosis was poor in patients receiving JAKi. Persistence was similar for TNFi and JAKi, although factors associated with discontinuation differed by diagnostic group.
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Introduction: RA patients are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, influenced by therapies. Studying their cardiovascular and cardiometabolic proteome can unveil biomarkers and insights into related biological pathways. Methods: This study included two cohorts of RA patients: newly diagnosed individuals (n=25) and those with established RA (disease duration >25 years, n=25). Both cohorts were age and sex-matched with a control group (n=25). Additionally, a longitudinal investigation was conducted on a cohort of 25 RA patients treated with methotrexate and another cohort of 25 RA patients treated with tofacitinib for 6 months. Clinical and analytical variables were recorded, and serum profiling of 184 proteins was performed using the Olink technology platform. Results: RA patients exhibited elevated levels of 75 proteins that might be associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, 24 proteins were increased in RA patients with established disease. Twenty proteins were commonly altered in both cohorts of RA patients. Among these, elevated levels of CTSL1, SORT1, SAA4, TNFRSF10A, ST6GAL1 and CCL18 discriminated RA patients and HDs with high specificity and sensitivity. Methotrexate treatment significantly reduced the levels of 13 proteins, while tofacitinib therapy modulated the expression of 10 proteins. These reductions were associated with a decrease in DAS28. Baseline levels of SAA4 and high levels of BNP were associated to the non-response to methotrexate. Changes in IL6 levels were specifically linked to the response to methotrexate. Regarding tofacitinib, differences in baseline levels of LOX1 and CNDP1 were noted between non-responder and responder RA patients. In addition, response to tofacitinib correlated with changes in SAA4 and TIMD4 levels. Conclusion: In summary, this study pinpoints molecular changes linked to cardiovascular disease in RA and proposes candidate protein biomarkers for distinguishing RA patients from healthy individuals. It also highlights how methotrexate and tofacitinib impact these proteins, with distinct alterations corresponding to each drug's response, identifying potential candidates, as SAA4, for the response to these therapies.
