Rheumatoid Arthritis Update 2014 Mark Hulsey, MD FACR Rheumatoid Arthritis Key Features Symptoms >6 weeks duration Often lasts the remainder of the patient s life Inflammatory synovitis Palpable synovial swelling Morning stiffness >1 hour, fatigue Symmetrical and polyarticular (>3 joints) Typically involves wrists, MCP, and PIP joints Typically spares certain joints Thoracolumbar spine DIPs of the fingers and IPs of the toes 1
PIP Swelling Swelling is confined to the area of the joint capsule Synovial thickening feels like a firm sponge Key Features (cont d) May have nodules: subcutaneous or periosteal at pressure points Rheumatoid factor 45% positive in first 6 months 85% positive with established disease Not specific for RA, high titer early is a bad sign Marginal erosions and joint space narrowing on x ray Adapted from Arnett, et al. Arth Rheum. 1988;31:315 324. Case 2 (cont d) How fast is joint damage progressing? A. Soft tissue swelling, no erosions B. Thinning of the cortex on the radial side and minimal joint space narrowing C. Marginal erosion at the radial side of the metacarpal head with joint space narrowing ACR Clinical Slide Collection, 1997. 2
Rheumatoid Nodules Ulnar Deviation and MCP Swelling An across the room diagnosis Prominent ulnar deviation in the right hand MCP and PIP swelling in both hands Synovitis of left wrist Clinical Course of RA rity of Arthritis Sever 4 3 2 1 0 0 0.5 1 2 3 4 6 8 16 Years Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 1 = Self-limited 5% to 20% Type 2 = Minimally progressive 5% to 20% Type 3 = Progressive 60% to 90% Pincus. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1995;21:619. 3
Typical Course Damage occurs early in most patients 50% show joint space narrowing or erosions in the first 2 years By 10 years, 50% of young working patients are disabled Death comes early Multiple causes Compared to general population Women lose 10 years, men lose 4 years Pincus, et al. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1993;19:123 151. Cardiovascular complications of RA 4
Key points: Rheumatoid Arthritis The sicker they are and the faster they get that way, the worse the future will be Early intervention can make a difference Essential to establish a treatment plan early in the disease Critical Elements of a Treatment Plan: Assessment Assess current activity Morning stiffness, synovitis, fatigue, ESR Document the degree of damage ROM and deformities Joint space narrowing and erosions on x ray Functional status Document extra articular manifestations Nodules, pulmonary fibrosis, vasculitis Assess prior Rx responses and side effects Critical Elements of a Treatment Plan: Therapy Education Build a cooperative long term relationship Use materials from the Arthritis Foundation and the ACR Assistive devices Exercise ROM, conditioning, and strengthening exercises Medications Analgesic and/or anti inflammatory Immunosuppressive, cytotoxic, and biologic Balance efficacy and safety with activity 5
NSAIDs Drug Treatment Options Symptomatic relief, improved function No change in disease progression Low dose prednisone ( 10 mg qd) May substitute for NSAID Used as bridge therapy If used long term, consider prophylactic treatment for osteoporosis Intra articular steroids Useful for flares Paget. Primer on Rheum Dis. 11th edition. 1997:168. Treatment Options Disease modifying drugs (DMARDs) Minocycline Modest effect, may work best early Sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine Moderate effect, low cost Intramuscular gold Slow onset, decreases progression, rare remission Requires close monitoring Alarcon. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1998;24:489 499. Paget. Primer on Rheum Dis. 11th edition. 1997:168. Treatment Options (cont d) Immunosuppressive drugs Methotrexate Most effective single DMARD Good benefit to risk ratio Azathioprine Slow onset, reasonably effective Cyclophosphamide Effective for vasculitis, less so for arthritis Cyclosporine Superior to placebo, renal toxicity Paget. Primer on Rheum Dis. 11th edition. 1997:168. 6
Percent With 50% AC CR Response 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Treatment New Options Combinations Triple RX 2-Year Outcome SSZ+ HCQ MTX Methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine Superior to any one or two alone for ACR 50% improvement response and maintenance of the response Side effects no greater Treatment Options New DMARDs Leflunomide Pyrimidine inhibitor Effect and side effects similar to those of MTX Etanercept Soluble TNF receptor, blocks TNF Rapid onset, quite effective in refractory patients in short term trials and in combination with MTX Injection site reactions, long term effects unknown, expensive Rozman. J Rheumatol. 1998;53:27 32. Moreland. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1998;24:579 591. Treatment Options New DMARDs Infliximab Chimeric monoclonal antibody to TNF a and TNF b IV infusion every 8 weeks Adalimumab Human IgG1antibody against TNF a Self injection sq every two weeks Certolizumab Human Fab fragment linked to PEG Neutralizes membrane associated and soluble TNF a Sq injection every 2 4 weeks 7
Treatment Options New DMARDs Golimumab (Simponi) Human IgG1 kappa mab to TNF a IV every 2 months or sq monthly Tocilizumab (Actemra) Humanized anti human IL 6 receptor IgG1 Ab IV monthly or sq q 1 2 week Abatacept (Orencia) CTLA4 Ig blocks CD28 binding to CD80/CD86 IV monthly Treatment Options New DMARDs Rituximab B cell depleting anti CD20 mab (mouse and human) Suppresses B cell counts for months, but not plasma cells Tofacitinib Oral Janus kinase inhibitor taken daily or bid neutropenia, hyperlipidemia, transaminasemia, GI perforation, possible increased serum creatinine DMARDs Have a Dark Side Don t Miss It DMARDs have a dark side Methotrexate may cause serious problems Lung Liver Bone marrow Be on the look out for toxicity with all the DMARDs 8
Monitoring Treatment With DMARDs These drugs need frequent monitoring Blood, liver, lung, and kidney are frequent sites of adverse effects Interval of laboratory lb testing varies with ihthe drug 4 to 8 week intervals are commonly needed Most patients need to be seen 3 to 6 times a year Adverse Effects of DMARDs Drug Hem Liver Lung Renal Infect Ca Other HCQ + - - - - - Eye SSZ + + + - - - GI Sx Gold ++ - + ++ - - Rash MTX + + ++ - ++? Mucositis AZA ++ + - - ++ + Pancreas PcN ++ + + ++ - - SLE, MG Cy +++ - - - +++ +++ Cystitis CSA + ++ - +++ ++ + HTN TNF* - - - -?? Local Lef* ++ ++ - -?? *Long-term data not available. Adapted from Paget. Primer on Rheum Dis. 11th edition. 1997:168. Frequency of serious infectious events data from each biologic package insert FDA Approved Biologic Agent for RA Serious Infectious Event Frequency (%) BiologicAgent Placebo Anakinra 2% 1% 1% Adalimumab 2% 1% Etanercept 1% 1% Infliximab 5.3% 3.4% Golimumab 1.9% 2.2% Certolizumab 3% 1% Abatacept 3% 1.9% Rituximab 2% 1% Tocilizumab 3.6 / 100 Pt Yrs 1.5 / 100 Pt Yrs 9
Rituximab B cell depletion Systematic review and meta analysis of 3 RCT 938 No demyelinating complications Anakinra IL 1 inhibition RCT 1414 No demyelinating complications Abatacept T cell costimulation blockade Observational study RCT RCT 1138 652 317 No demyelinating complications Tocilizumab IL 6 inhibition RCT 4211 No demyelinating complications 10