Tocilizumab is clinically, functionally, and radiographically effective and safe either with or without low-dose methotrexate in active rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate responses to DMARDs and/or TNF inhibitors: a single-center retrospective cohort study (KEIO-TCZ study) at week 52.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) with or without methotrexate (MTX) in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients showing inadequate responses to DMARDs and/or TNF inhibitors in clinical practice.

METHODS

We observed consecutive 115 RA patients initiating TCZ treatment in Keio University Hospital, dividing them into two groups with (TCZ + MTX group) or without MTX (TCZ group), and evaluated clinical, functional and structural outcomes besides safety at week 52.

RESULTS

Overall mean age, RA duration, and DAS28-ESR were 55.4, 8.4 years, and 5.0, respectively. Proportions of the prior use of TNF inhibitors and concomitant MTX were 45.5% and 57.4%, respectively. Mean dose of concomitant MTX was 8.4 mg/week. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. TCZ improved disease activity measured by DAS28-ESR to 2.1 at week 52 overall, without significant difference between the groups. Clinical (DAS28-ESR < 2.6), functional (HAQ-DI ≤ 0.5), and structural (ΔTSS ≤ 0.5) remission rates in the TCZ group and the TCZ + MTX group were 79.1%/63.8% (P = 0.10), 62.8%/54.4% (P = 0.40), and 70.0%/53.8% (P = 0.61), respectively. Retention rates were 81.0% in the TCZ + MTX group and 88.5% in the TCZ group (P = 0.47). The rate of serious adverse events was comparable between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

TCZ was clinically, functionally, and radiographically effective and safe either with or without low-dose MTX.