Takahito Suto1, Yukio Yonemoto1, Koichi Okamura1, Hideo Sakane1, Kimihiko Takeuchi2, Yasuyuki Tamura3, Tetsuya Kaneko4, Keio Ayabe5, Hirotaka Chikuda1. 1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Gunma , Japan. 2. Department of Rheumatology, Isesaki Fukushima Hospital , Gunma , Japan. 3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Inoue Hospital , Gunma , Japan. 4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Japan Redcross Society Fukaya Redcross Hospital , Saitama , Japan. 5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keiyu Orthopaedic Hospital , Gunma , Japan.
Abstract
Objectives: To assess the middle-term outcome of iguratimod (IGU) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: Sixty-nine RA patients (14 males and 55 females, mean age of 64.0 years) receiving IGU-containing therapies were enrolled. We divided these patients into three groups based on the treatment at the baseline: an IGU group, a methotrexate (MTX) plus IGU group, and a biologics plus IGU group. The baseline characteristics and clinical course were evaluated over three years. Predictive factors associated with the achievement of low disease activity (LDA) were statistically analyzed. Results: The survival rate of IGU therapy at 3 years was 40.6%. The disease activity was significantly decreased in the IGU group and MTX plus IGU group compared with the baseline. Furthermore, 38 patients (55.1%) were in remission or had LDA at 3 years. The patient gender, use of prednisolone (PSL) and DAS28-CRP at baseline were the factors associated with the achievement of remission or LDA at three years. Conclusion: IGU was effective without MTX or bDMARDs as well as in combination with MTX. A female gender, no use of PSL and a low DAS28-CRP at the initiation of IGU were associated with clinical remission or LDA achievement at three years.
Objectives: To assess the middle-term outcome of iguratimod (IGU) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: Sixty-nine RApatients (14 males and 55 females, mean age of 64.0 years) receiving IGU-containing therapies were enrolled. We divided these patients into three groups based on the treatment at the baseline: an IGU group, a methotrexate (MTX) plus IGU group, and a biologics plus IGU group. The baseline characteristics and clinical course were evaluated over three years. Predictive factors associated with the achievement of low disease activity (LDA) were statistically analyzed. Results: The survival rate of IGU therapy at 3 years was 40.6%. The disease activity was significantly decreased in the IGU group and MTX plus IGU group compared with the baseline. Furthermore, 38 patients (55.1%) were in remission or had LDA at 3 years. The patient gender, use of prednisolone (PSL) and DAS28-CRP at baseline were the factors associated with the achievement of remission or LDA at three years. Conclusion: IGU was effective without MTX or bDMARDs as well as in combination with MTX. A female gender, no use of PSL and a low DAS28-CRP at the initiation of IGU were associated with clinical remission or LDA achievement at three years.