Prescribing motivations and patients ’ characteristics related to the use of biologic drugs in adult-onset Still’s disease: analysis of a multicentre “real-life” cohort

AbstractA growing body of evidence suggests the usability of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in treating adult-onset Still ’s disease (AOSD). In a multicentre “real-life” cohort, the physicians’ prescribing motivations and patients’ predictive characteristics of being treated with bDMARDs were assessed. Patients with AOSD, who were included in GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperim entale) cohort and treated with bDMARDs, were retrospectively assessed. Relevant data were collected by a review of clinical charts. Forty-four patients treated with bDMARDs were analysed, with slight male preponderance (52.3%) and a mean age of 39.3 ± 15.2 years. All patients were treated wit h corticosteroids (CCSs) (38.6% with low dosage) and 93.2% were treated with synthetic DMARDs (sDMARDs). Regarding the effectiveness of the first-line bDMARD, 65.6% of patients experienced a complete remission, defined as complete disappearance of both systemic and joint symptoms and normalisation o f laboratory evidence of disease. The physicians’ prescribing motivations for bDMARDs were inadequate response to CCSs and/or sDMARDs, CCS-sparing effect and occurrence of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Analysing patients’ characteristics, chronic disease course (OR 3.09; 95%CI 1.22–7.8 0,p = 0.017), defined as disease with persistent symptoms, was predictive of being treated with bDMARDs, whereas age (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.93–0.9...
Source: Rheumatology International - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research