NCT01602302

Ultrasound and Withdrawal of Biological DMARDs in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Ultrasound as Biomarker for Withdrawal of Biological DMARDs in Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (actual)
• Sponsor: Medical University of Graz · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

biological DMARDs may be stopped in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients treated with a combination of synthetic DMARD plus bDMARDs which are in persistent clinical remission. The research question of this study is, whether musculoskeletal sonography is a useful biomarker predicting a disease flare after cessation of bDMARD therapy.

Detailed description

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory joint disease. It is usually treated with synthetic and biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Up to 35% of patients can achieve clinical remission by the combination these therapies; however, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the management of patients once this clinical state is achieved. The discontinuation of biological agents in patients with persistent clinical remission may be beneficial for the patients and the health care system reducing the risks of long term adverse events and saving costs, respectively. Up to 60% of patients were reported to flare after cessation of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) therapy despite continuation of synthetic DMARDs and up to now there exist no validated biomarkers that predict which patients will suffer a flare and which patients will remain in remission. Sonography is more and more used as a biomarker in RA. Subclinical inflammation was previously associated with an increased risk for short term clinical relapse and structural deterioration. The hypothesis of this prospective study is that ultrasound verified subclinical inflammation at the time of bDMARD withdrawal predicts a disease flare at week 16. The investigators plan to recruit RA-patients with persistent clinical remission according to SDAI and no current corticosteroid therapy. At baseline, bDMARD is stopped, synthetic DMARDs are continued. Patients undergo 9 study visits within 52 weeks. Ultrasound examinations of 14 joints as well as clinical and laboratory assessments with calculation of SDAI scores are performed at each visit. Patients are considered to have a disease flare if disease status changes from remission to active disease according to clinical scores. Patients with a flare of the disease are excluded from the active phase of the study and are treated according to current guidelines.

Conditions

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	bDMARD withdrawal (etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, certolizumab, golimumab, tozilizumab, abatacept)	bDMARDS (etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, certolizumab, golimumab, tocilizumab, abatacept) will be discontinued after baseline visit in all participants

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-06-01
• Primary completion: 2020-11-19
• Completion: 2020-11-19
• First posted: 2012-05-18
• Last updated: 2020-12-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Austria