Background: Before using biological DMARDs, EULAR suggests the use of synthetic DMARDs (especially methotrexate) for RA and PsA [1-2].
Objectives: It was aimed to evaluate the differences of disease duration and csDMARDs till first bDMARD in RA and PsA patients.
Methods: HUR-BIO (Hacettepe University Biologic Registry) is a prospective, single center database of biological treatments since 2005 and to date 2070 RA and 520 PsA patients have been recorded. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data before bDMARDs of the patients were noted. When investigating the differences between groups, the effects of gender, age and disease duration wereadjusted using two-way ANOVA and ANCOVA tests. The selection was made for the gender, age and for indifference of the relevant groups by using prospensity score matching.
Results: We incuded 481 RA, and 482 PsA age and gender matched patients in the study. Age, gender and disease duration information were given in the
emographic characteristics and csDMARDs before first bDMARD
RA (n=481 ) | PsA (n=482 ) | P value | ||
Female, n (% ) | 319 (66.3) | 332 (68.9) | 0.218 | |
Age, years (mean±SD ) | 48.2 ± 13.5 | 47.4 ± 12.2 | 0.332 | |
Disease duration, years* | 10 (6-16) | 7 (3-12) | 0.000 | |
Symptom duration before diagnosis, years ¥ | 0 (0-1) | 1 (0-4) | 0.000* | |
The period of time between diagnosis and bDMARD initiation, months ¥ | 55 (24-115) | 18.5 (8-58) | 0.000* | |
The period of time between symptoms and bDMARD initiation, months ¥ | 70 (35-151) | 48 (20-124) | 0.000* | |
Methotrexate | Ever n (% ) | 400 (83.3) | 373 (77.5) | 0.015 |
Just before bDMARD initiation n (% ) | 251 (52.2) | 230 (47.7) | 0.093 | |
Hydroxychloroquine sulfate | Ever n (% ) | 292 (60.8) | 170 (35.3) | 0.000* |
Just before bDMARD initiation n (% ) | 262 (54.5) | 99 (20.5) | 0.000* | |
Leflunomide | Ever n (% ) | 237 (49.4) | 129 (26.8) | 0.000* |
Just before bDMARD initiation n (% ) | 160 (33.3) | 96 (19.9) | 0.000* | |
Sulphasalazine | Ever n (% ) | 353 (73.5) | 265 (55.1) | 0.000* |
Just before bDMARD initiation n (% ) | 156 (32.4) | 146 (30.3) | 0.259* | |
Corticosteroids | Ever n (% ) | 419 (87.3) | 281 (58.4) | 0.000* |
Just before bDMARD initiation n (% ) | 335 (69.6) | 187 (38.8) | 0.000* |
¥Median (IQR )
Conclusion: According to HUR-BIO real life data, for inflammatory arthritis patients who started bDMARDs, the periods of time between diagnosis and bDMARDs were more reasonable (18 months) in PsA patients than RA patient’s periods which were approximately three times longer. RA patients were used much more and longer duration of csDMARDs. This explicit distinction may be explained by synthetic DMARDs on activity differences between the RA and PsA.
REFERENCES:
[1]Gossec, L., et al., EULAR recommendations for the management of psoriatic arthritis with pharmacological therapies: 2019 update. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020. 79(6): p. 700-712.
[2]Smolen, J.S., et al., EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2019 update. Ann Rheum Dis, 2020. 79(6): p. 685-699.
Disclosure of Interests: None declared