Clinical response to discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis after 3 years of continuous treatment with infliximab

Table 1 Clinical and laboratory findings for 42 patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with infliximab

Finding	BASDAI	BASMI	BASFI	PatGA	PhysGA	NRS-P	ESR (mm/h)	CRP (mg/l)
At time point 1^a
Mean ± SD	2.5 ± 1.8**	2.7 ± 2.0*	2.9 ± 2.4**	2.6 ± 1.5**	2.6 ± 2.1**	2.6 ± 2.1**	10.5 ± 7.3**	3.1 ± 4.2**
Median	2.4	2.0	2.5	4.0	2.0	2.0	8.0	1.1
Range	0.0 - 6.8	0.0 - 7.0	0.0 - 8.3	0.0 - 8.0	0.0 - 4.0	0.0 - 7.0	2.0 - 32.0	0.0 - 19.0
At time point 2^a
Mean ± SD	6.1 ± 1.4**	3.2 ± 2.2*	5.8 ± 1.8**	6.9 ± 2.1**	7.0 ± 1.5**	7.1 ± 1.7**	31.5 ± 29.7**	20.7 ± 23.7**
Median	6.2	3.0	5.7	7.0	7.0	7.0	23.0	14.0
Range	4.0 - 9.2	0.0 - 9.0	1.2 - 9.1	4.0 - 10.0	4.0 - 10.0	0.0 - 10.0	4.0 - 150.0	0.3 - 126.0
Change between time points 1 and 2
Mean ± SD	3.6 ± 1.7	0.5 ± 1.5	2.9 ± 2.0	4.3 ± 1.9	4.4 ± 1.8	4.5 ± 2.2	21.0 ± 29.7	17.6 ± 23.4
Median	3.6	0.5	2.5	4.0	4.0	4.0	12.0	11.5
Range	-1.2 - 6.7	-4.0 - 3.0	-0.5 - 7.8	-2.0 - 8.0	-2.0 - 8.0	-1.0 - 8.0	-6.0 - 146.0	-6.3 - 123.0

^aTime point 1 is the time point at which infliximab treatment was discontinued; time point 2 is that when retreatment began. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.001, when means at time points 1 and 2 are compared. BASDAI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; BASFI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index; BASMI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index; CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; NRS-P, numerical rating scale for pain; PatGA, patient's global assessment; PhysGA, physician's global assessment; SD, standard deviation.

ISSN: 1478-6362