Six and 12 weeks treatment response predicts continuation of tumor necrosis factor blockade in rheumatoid arthritis: an observational cohort study from southern Sweden.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate if treatment response predicts continuation of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

We investigated if treatment response and/or achieving a certain activity state at 6 weeks or 3 months predicts continuation of treatment in an observational cohort of 1789 anti-TNF-naive patients with established RA disease from southern Sweden.

RESULTS

Response to treatment at 6 weeks at overall/American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) or good/major level (except ACR70) significantly predicted drug continuation. Response according to all criteria sets at overall/ACR20 and at good/major/ACR70 level predicted drug continuation at 3 months, as did achieving low disease activity at 3 months irrespective of activity index applied. Remaining in a high disease activity state predicted drug discontinuation at both timepoints and according to all criteria sets.

CONCLUSION

Response criteria may be useful aids in deciding on continuation of TNF blockade in RA as early as after 6 weeks of treatment. The various criteria sets perform similarly.