Publications (58) View all
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Article: Clinical Response Within 12 Weeks as a Predictor of Future Low Disease Activity in Patients with Early RA: Results from the TEAR Trial.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Rapidly predicting future outcomes based on short-term clinical response would be helpful to optimize rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management in early disease. Our aim was to derive and validate a clinical prediction rule to predict low disease activity (LDA) at 1 year among patients participating in the Treatment of Early Aggressive Rheumatoid Arthritis (TEAR) trial escalating RA therapy by adding either etanercept or sulfasalazine + hydroxychloroquine [triple therapy (TT)] after 6 months of methotrexate (MTX) therapy. METHODS: Eligible subjects included in the derivation cohort (used for model building, n = 186) were participants with moderate or higher disease activity [Disease Activity Score 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS-ESR) > 3.2] despite 24 weeks of MTX monotherapy who added either etanercept or sulfasalazine + hydroxychloroquine. Clinical characteristics measured within the next 12 weeks were used to predict LDA 1 year later using multivariable logistic regression. Validation was performed in the cohort of TEAR patients randomized to initially receive either MTX + etanercept or TT. RESULTS: The derivation cohort yielded 3 prediction models of varying complexity that included age, DAS28 at various timepoints, body mass index, and ESR (area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve up to 0.83). Accuracy of the prediction models ranged between 80% and 95% in both derivation and validation cohorts, depending on the complexity of the model and the cutpoints chosen for response and nonresponse. About 80% of patients could be predicted to be responders or nonresponders at Week 12. CONCLUSION: Clinical data collected early after starting or escalating disease-modifying antirheumatic drug/biologic treatment could accurately predict LDA at 1 year in patients with early RA. For patients predicted to be nonresponders, treatment could be changed at 12 weeks to optimize outcomes.The Journal of Rheumatology 04/2013; · 3.69 Impact Factor -
Article: Changes in lipoproteins associated with treatment with methotrexate or combination therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis: Results from the TEAR trial.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To study changes in lipid profiles at 24 weeks among early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients participating in the Treatment of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (TEAR) Trial randomized to initiate methotrexate plus etanercept (MTX+ETA), triple therapy (TT) [MTX plus sulfasalazine plus hydroxychloroquine] or aggressively-titrated MTX monotherapy. METHODS: The TEAR biorepository study had 459 participating patients. Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured in serum plasma at 0 and 24 weeks. RESULTS: At 24 weeks, there were statistically significant mean increases in cholesterol levels in the MTX + ETA, TT, and MTX monotherapy arms, the observed increases were 31.4, 28.7 and 30 mg/dL in LDL-C; 19.3, 22.3 and 20.6 mg/dL in HDL-C and 56.8, 53 and 57.3 mg/dL values in TC (p < 0.001 all compared to baseline). There was a statistically significant decrease in TC/HDL-C ratio at 24 weeks in all 3 treatment groups from baseline. There was no difference in any lipid changes between the 3 treatment arms. After multivariable adjustment, change in C-reactive protein was associated with change in LDL-C (p=0.03), HDL-C (p=0.09), and TC (p=0.01), but disease activity score in 28-joints was not. Baseline glucocorticoid use was associated with changes in HDL-C (p=0.03) and TC (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Levels of TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C increased equivalently shortly after initiation of MTX + ETA, TT and MTX monotherapy among early RA patients with active disease participating in a clinical trial. The clinical relevance of short term changes in traditional lipids on cardiovascular outcomes remains to be determined. © 2013 American College of Rheumatology.Arthritis & Rheumatism 03/2013; · 7.87 Impact Factor -
Article: Genome-Wide Association Study and Gene Expression Analysis Identifies CD84 as a Predictor of Response to Etanercept Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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ABSTRACT: Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) biologic therapy is a widely used treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is unknown why some RA patients fail to respond adequately to anti-TNF therapy, which limits the development of clinical biomarkers to predict response or new drugs to target refractory cases. To understand the biological basis of response to anti-TNF therapy, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of more than 2 million common variants in 2,706 RA patients from 13 different collections. Patients were treated with one of three anti-TNF medications: etanercept (n = 733), infliximab (n = 894), or adalimumab (n = 1,071). We identified a SNP (rs6427528) at the 1q23 locus that was associated with change in disease activity score (ΔDAS) in the etanercept subset of patients (P = 8×10(-8)), but not in the infliximab or adalimumab subsets (P>0.05). The SNP is predicted to disrupt transcription factor binding site motifs in the 3' UTR of an immune-related gene, CD84, and the allele associated with better response to etanercept was associated with higher CD84 gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (P = 1×10(-11) in 228 non-RA patients and P = 0.004 in 132 RA patients). Consistent with the genetic findings, higher CD84 gene expression correlated with lower cross-sectional DAS (P = 0.02, n = 210) and showed a non-significant trend for better ΔDAS in a subset of RA patients with gene expression data (n = 31, etanercept-treated). A small, multi-ethnic replication showed a non-significant trend towards an association among etanercept-treated RA patients of Portuguese ancestry (n = 139, P = 0.4), but no association among patients of Japanese ancestry (n = 151, P = 0.8). Our study demonstrates that an allele associated with response to etanercept therapy is also associated with CD84 gene expression, and further that CD84 expression correlates with disease activity. These findings support a model in which CD84 genotypes and/or expression may serve as a useful biomarker for response to etanercept treatment in RA patients of European ancestry.PLoS Genetics 03/2013; 9(3):e1003394. · 8.69 Impact Factor -
Article: Genome-wide association analysis of anti-TNF drug response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Treatment strategies blocking tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) have proven very successful in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, a significant subset of patients does not respond for unknown reasons. Currently, there are no means of identifying these patients before treatment. This study was aimed at identifying genetic factors predicting anti-TNF treatment outcome in patients with RA using a genome-wide association approach. METHODS: We conducted a multistage, genome-wide association study with a primary analysis of 2 557 253 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 882 patients with RA receiving anti-TNF therapy included through the Dutch Rheumatoid Arthritis Monitoring (DREAM) registry and the database of Apotheekzorg. Linear regression analysis of changes in the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints after 14 weeks of treatment was performed using an additive model. Markers with p<10(-3) were selected for replication in 1821 patients from three independent cohorts. Pathway analysis including all SNPs with p<10(-3) was performed using Ingenuity. RESULTS: 772 markers showed evidence of association with treatment outcome in the initial stage. Eight genetic loci showed improved p value in the overall meta-analysis compared with the first stage, three of which (rs1568885, rs1813443 and rs4411591) showed directional consistency over all four cohorts studied. We were unable to replicate markers previously reported to be associated with anti-TNF outcome. Network analysis indicated strong involvement of biological processes underlying inflammatory response and cell morphology. CONCLUSIONS: Using a multistage strategy, we have identified eight genetic loci associated with response to anti-TNF treatment. Further studies are required to validate these findings in additional patient collections.Annals of the rheumatic diseases 12/2012; · 8.11 Impact Factor -
Article: Serum cotinine as a biomarker of tobacco exposure is not associated with treatment response in early rheumatoid arthritis.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking has emerged as a risk factor for development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent studies have suggested that cigarette smoking may lead to lower treatment response rates with methotrexate (MTX) and some biologic agents in RA. Knowledge of whether tobacco exposure reduces treatment efficacy is important as smoking could represent a modifiable factor in optimizing RA treatment. METHODS: Study participants included patients with early RA (<3 years duration) enrolled in the Treatment of Early Aggressive RA (TEAR) trial, a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial (RCT) comparing early intensive therapy (MTX + etanercept or MTX + hydroxychloroquine + sulfasalazine [triple therapy]) versus initial treatment with MTX with step-up to MTX + etanercept or to triple therapy if still active at 24 weeks. Serum cotinine was measured using a commercially available ELISA at baseline and 48 weeks with detectable concentrations at both visits serving as indicator of smoking status. Mean Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) was compared by smoking status, adjusting for baseline disease activity. RESULTS: Of 412 subjects included in the analysis, 293 (71%) were categorized as 'non-smokers' and 119 (29%) as 'current smokers'. There were no differences in the mean DAS-28 between 48 and 102 weeks based on smoking status for the overall group (p=0.881) or by specific treatment assignment. CONCLUSION: Among patients enrolled in a large RCT of early RA with poor prognostic factors, smoking status did not impact treatment responses for those receiving early combination or initial MTX with step-up therapy at 24 weeks if still active.Arthritis care & research. 06/2012;
