Biologic Saves Joints in Psoriatic Arthritis
Analysis of the data from this study also revealed that after 2 years of treatment, 52.5% and 53.9% of patients who had originally been in the 50 mg and 100 mg groups had reached remission as measured on the Disease Activity Scale in 28 joints.
In addition, 43.5% were in remission according to the HAQ, as were 40.1% according to the Short Form-36 physical function component score, Chattopadhyay reported in a separate poster session.
What is reactive arthritis?
Reactive arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis featuring the following three conditions: (1) inflamed joints, (2) inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis), and (3) inflammation of the genital, urinary, or gastrointestinal systems.
This form of joint inflammation is called “reactive arthritis” because it is felt to involve an immune system that is “reacting” to the presence of bacterial infections in the genital, urinary, or gastrointestinal systems. Accordingly, certain people’s immune systems are genetically primed to react aberrantly when these areas are exposed to certain bacteria. The aberrant reaction of the immune system leads to spontaneous inflammation in the joints and eyes. This can be confounding to the patient and the doctor when the infection has long passed at the time of presentation with arthritis or eye inflammation.
Reactive arthritis has, in the past, been referred to as Reiter syndrome (a term that has lost favor because of Dr. Hans Reiter’s dubious past, one of enthusiastically embracing Nazi politics and medical abominations).
Reactive arthritis most frequently occurs in patients in their 30s or 40s, but it can occur at any age. The form of reactive arthritis that occurs after genital infection (venereal) occurs more frequently in males. The form that develops after bowel infection (dysentery) occurs in equal frequency in males and females.
Reactive arthritis is considered a systemic rheumatic disease. This means it can affect other organs than the joints, causing inflammation in tissues such as the eyes, mouth, skin, kidneys, heart, and lungs. Reactive arthritis shares many features with several other arthritic conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and arthritis associated with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Each of these arthritic conditions can cause similar disease and inflammation in the spine and other joints, eyes, skin, mouth, and various organs. In view of their similarities and tendency to inflame the spine, these conditions are collectively referred to as “spondyloarthropathies.”
Productivity also improved, with 47% of patients considered unemployable at baseline becoming employable after 4 months of treatment, an improvement that was sustained throughout the 2 years.
The study was sponsored by Janssen, and many of the authors are employees or investigators for Janssen.
Primary source: British Society for Rheumatology
Source reference: Kavanaugh A, et al “Long-term radiographic outcome in psoriatic arthritis patients treated with golimumab: 104 week results from the GO-REVEAL study” BSR 2012; Abstract 10.
Additional source: British Society for Rheumatology
Source reference: Kavanaugh A, et al “Early and sustained remission associated with normalized physical function, health-related quality of life and significantly improved productivity in patients with active psoriatic arthritis treated with golimumab: 2-year data from phase III GO-REVEAL trial” BSR 2012; Abstract 104.