T-Cell Subsets in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Long-Term Anti-TNF or IL-6 Receptor Blocker Therapy
Table 1
Clinical data and patient characteristics.
Anti-TNF responders ()
Anti-TNF nonresponders ()
Anti-IL-6R responders ()
Newly diagnosed untreated RA ()
Mean age (range)
57.2 (26–75)
55.7 (29–71)
57.5 (34–76)
48.3 (22–67)#
Gender (female/male)
19/11
12/7
28/15
11/8
Anti-TNF treatments
30 (100.0)
19 (100.0)
n (%) adalimumab
10 (33.3)
4 (21.1)
Certolizumab
6 (20.0)
8 (42.1)
Etanercept
7 (23.3)
4 (21.1)
Infliximab
4 (13.3)
2 (10.5)
Golimumab
3 (10.0)
1 (5.3)
Mean disease duration (range)
11.3 (2–33) yrs
10.8 (4–44) yrs
12.0 (2–34) yrs
2.7 (1–3) months
Adalimumab
11.9 (3–24)
11.8 (5–19)
Certolizumab
10.7 (2–31)
10.2 (4–44)
Etanercept
12.4 (2–33)
11.0 (5–26)
Infliximab
13.5 (4–22)
12.0 (5–19)
Golimumab
8.0 (3–16)
9.0
Mean duration of current biological therapy months (range)
29.8 (6–52)
30.95 (6–50)
33.0 (6–48)
—
Adalimumab
35.1 (6–52)
30.8 (24–48)
Certolizumab
28.2 (8–42)
29 (6–43)
Etanercept
26.7 (7–41)
36.8 (18–50)
Infliximab
27.6 (10–33)
22.5 (8–37)
Golimumab
31.4 (11–42)
41
Prior use of TNF inhibitors
3/30
6/19
29/43
—
No. of switching,
n: 1
3/3
4/6
15/26
2
—
2/6
9/26
3
—
—
5/26
Patients on corticosteroid therapy n (%)
8 (26.7)
8 (42.1)
15 (40.5)
—
Adalimumab
3/10
1/4
Certolizumab
1/6
3/8
Etanercept
2/7
2/4
Infliximab
2/4
1/2
Golimumab
0/3
1/1
Patients on conventional DMARD therapy n (%)
26 (86.7)
15 (79.0)
23 (62.2)
—
Adalimumab
8/10
3/4
Certolizumab
5/6
6/8
Etanercept
6/7
3/4
Infliximab
4/4
2/2
Golimumab
3/3
1/1
ACPA positivity n (%)
24 (85.4)
14 (82.4)
21 (41.4)
19 (100.0)
Adalimumab
8/10
3/4
Certolizumab
5/6
6/8
Etanercept
5/7
2/4
Infliximab
3/4
2/2
Golimumab
3/3
1/1
DAS 28 score (mean ± SD)
2.2 ± 0.8
5.12 ± 1.29+
1.89 ± 0.87
7.71 ± 4.06#
Adalimumab
2.16 ± 0.79
4.64 ± 1.35
Certolizumab
2.09 ± 1.18
5.53 ± 0.82
Etanercept
1.70 ± 0.48
5.18 ± 1.98
Infliximab
3.00 ± 0.92
4.95 ± 0.27
Golimumab
2.36 ± 0.47
4.21 ± 0.00
between anti-TNF responders and IL-6R blocker responders. + between anti-TNF nonresponders and IL-6R blocker responders, # between newly diagnosed untreated RA group and all other groups. DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; ACPA: anti-citrullinated protein antibody; DAS28: disease activity score with 28 joints; TNF: tumor necrosis factor alpha; IL-6R: interleukin-6 receptor.
