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Rituximab Treatment for Spondyloarthritis. A Nationwide Series: Data from the AIR Registry of the French Society of Rheumatology
The Journal of Rheumatology, 08/16/2012
Clinical Article
Wendling D et al. – In this nationwide study of several subsets of spondyloarthritis, rituximab had only a moderate efficacy that was more marked in patients who were anti–tumor necrosis factor–naive.
Methods- All patients receiving RTX for SpA, and prospectively included in the AIR registry from September 2005 to September 2010, were retrospectively analyzed.
- The response to treatment was evaluated by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index for axial disease, joint count for peripheral disease, and C-reactive protein reduction.
- Among the 595 patients included in the AIR registry, 26 patients with SpA from 13 centers were reported: ankylosing spondylitis (10), undifferentiated SpA (7), and psoriatic arthritis (9).
- Mean disease duration was 8.8 years (range 1-40).
- The extraarticular features found were psoriasis, 12 cases; uveitis, 4 cases; and Crohn’s disease, 3 cases.
- The mean number of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs before RTX was 2.4; previous anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents were taken in 23 cases.
- The mean number of RTX courses was 1.5 (range 1-5), with a total of 35.6 patient-years.
- Efficacy was noted in 11/23 cases: 3 out of 3 anti-TNF-naive patients and 8 out of 20 anti-TNF nonresponder patients.
- No predictive factors of response could be identified, particularly in diagnosis subsets or clinical presentation (axial or peripheral).
