Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and PRO Remission Rates in 12,262 Biologic-Naïve Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis Treated With Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Routine Care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after initiation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment in European real-world patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Further, to investigate PRO remission rates across treatment courses, registries, disease duration, sex, and age at disease onset. METHODS: Visual analog scale or numerical rating scale scores for pain, fatigue, patient global assessment (PtGA), and the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) from 12,262 patients with PsA initiating a TNFi in 13 registries were pooled. PRO remission rates (pain ≤ 1, fatigue ≤ 2, PtGA ≤ 2, and HAQ-DI ≤ 0.5) were calculated for patients still on the treatment. RESULTS: For the first TNFi, median pain score was reduced by approximately 50%, from 6 to 3, 3, and 2; as were fatigue scores, from 6 to 4, 4, and 3; PtGA scores, from 6 to 3, 3, and 2; and HAQ-DI scores, from 0.9 to 0.5, 0.5, and 0.4 at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Six-month Lund Efficacy Index (LUNDEX)-adjusted remission rates for pain, fatigue, PtGA, and HAQ-DI scores were 24%, 31%, 36%, and 43% (first TNFi); 14%, 19%, 23%, and 29% (second TNFi); and 9%, 14%, 17%, and 20% (third TNFi), respectively. For biologic-naïve patients with disease duration < 5 years, 6-month LUNDEX-adjusted remission rates for pain, fatigue, PtGA, and HAQ-DI scores were 22%, 28%, 33%, and 42%, respectively. Corresponding rates for patients with disease duration > 10 years were 27%, 32%, 41%, and 43%, respectively. Remission rates were 33%, 40%, 45%, and 56% for men and 17%, 23%, 24%, and 32% for women, respectively. For patients aged < 45 years at diagnosis, 6-month LUNDEX-adjusted remission rate for pain was 29% vs 18% for patients ≥ 45 years. CONCLUSION: In 12,262 biologic-naïve patients with PsA, 6 months of treatment with a TNFi reduced pain by approximately 50%. Marked differences in PRO remission rates across treatment courses, registries, disease duration, sex, and age at onset of disease were observed, emphasizing the potential influence of factors other than disease activity on PROs.

Sex Differences in the Effectiveness of First-Line Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Psoriatic Arthritis: Results From the European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network.

OBJECTIVE: Women with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may have reduced tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) effectiveness compared to men. We examined sex differences in treatment response and retention rates during 24 months of follow-up among patients with PsA initiating their first TNFi. METHODS: Data from patients with PsA across 13 European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network registries starting their first TNFi were pooled. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between sex and treatment response using low disease activity (LDA) according to the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the C-reactive protein level (DAS28-CRP) (<3.2) at six months as the primary outcome. Analyses were adjusted for age, country, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment, and TNFi start year. Retention rates were explored using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. RESULTS: We analyzed the treatment response of 7,679 patients with PsA (50% women) with available data on LDA at six months. At baseline, women and men had similar characteristics, including mean DAS28-CRP (women vs men, 4.4 [SD 1.2] vs 4.2 [SD 1.2]), though patient-reported outcome measures were worse in women. At six months, 64% of women and 78% of men had LDA (relative risk [RR] 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80-0.84). This difference was similar after adjustment (RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.81-0.85). TNFi retention rates were evaluated in 17,842 patients with PsA. Women had significantly lower retention rates than men at all time points (women 79%, 64%, and 50% vs men 88%, 77%, and 64% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively). CONCLUSION: Despite comparable disease characteristics at baseline, women with PsA have reduced treatment response and retention rates to their first TNFi, highlighting the need to consider sex differences in PsA research and management.

Differences and similarities between the EULAR/ASAS-EULAR and national recommendations for treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis across Europe.

This is the first report comparing EULAR and national treatment recommendations for PsA patients across Europe, and the first this decade to compare ASAS-EULAR and national treatment recommendations in axSpA patients. An electronic survey was completed from October 2021-April 2022 by rheumatologists in 15 European countries. One and four countries followed all EULAR and ASAS-EULAR recommendations, respectively. Five countries had no national treatment recommendations for PsA and/or axSpA, but followed other regulations. In several countries, national treatment recommendations predated the most recent EULAR/ASAS-EULAR recommendations. Entry criteria for starting biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs varied considerably. In several countries, for PsA patients with significant skin involvement, interleukin-17 inhibitors were not given preference. The positioning of Janus Kinase inhibitors differed and Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors were not in use/reimbursed in most countries. This study may motivate European countries to update their national treatment recommendations, to align them better with the latest international recommendations.

Rheumatoid arthritis: travelling biological era a Romanian X-ray population.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with loss of overall functionality of the locomotion system and it is connected with substantial economic losses. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics and healthcare resource utilization characteristics and to analyze the correlations in a cross-sectional sample of 206 patients in Romania. METHOD: RA cases have been enrolled from southern and western part of the country, covering a surface of 23 counties. RESULTS: Particularly in the literature data, Romanian RA patients become work disabled at 5.65 +/- 5.99 years old after the diagnosis. At cohort level, retirement in the first year after RA diagnosis is of 22.9%. From those, 13% were treated with biologic DMARDs; those on non-biologic DMARDs were 28.6%. In oral therapy group the most prescribed drug is lefunomide (61.2%). RA has an important impact on pain, function and utility, influenced by social factors. Patients' follow up is often based on hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Currently, when the clinician may choose for one certain therapy or another, the social influence is still overwhelming at all the evaluation levels in RA patients, as well as at economic impact.