Does partial control of inflammation prevent long-term joint damage? Clinical rationale for combination therapy with multiple disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology

Volumn 17, Issue 6 SUPPL. 18, 1999, Pages

  Pincus, T ^a,d   Breedveld, F C ^b   Emery, P ^c  

^a VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER   (United States)

^b LEIDEN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER   (Netherlands)

^c UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS   (United Kingdom)

^d VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United States)

Author keywords

Combination therapy; Damage; Disease modifying antirheumatic drug; Outcome; Rheumatoid arthritis

Indexed keywords

ANTIRHEUMATIC AGENT; CORTICOSTEROID; CYCLOSPORIN; GOLD SALT; HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE; LEFLUNOMIDE; METHOTREXATE; SALAZOSULFAPYRIDINE; TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA ANTIBODY;

ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY; CLINICAL TRIAL; HUMAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REMISSION; REVIEW; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

ANTIRHEUMATIC AGENTS; ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATOID; DRUG THERAPY, COMBINATION; HUMANS; INFLAMMATION; SYNOVIAL MEMBRANE;

EID: 0032695262     PISSN: 0392856X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (98)

1. MCCARTY DJ, HARMAN JG, GRASSANOVICH JL, QIAN C, KLEIN JP: Combination drug therapy of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1995; 22: 1636-45.
2. BENSEN W, TUGWELL P, ROBERTS RM: Combination therapy of cyclosporine with methotrexate and gold in rheumatoid arthritis (2 pilot studies). J Rheumatol 1994; 21: 2034-8.
3. VERHOEVEN AC, BOERS M, TUGWELL P: Combination therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: Updated systematic review. Br J Rheumatol 1998; 37: 612-9.
4. O'DELL J: Combination DMARD therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: Apparent universal acceptance. Arthritis Rheum 1997; 40: S50 (Abstract).
5. WOLFE F, PINCUS T, FRIES JF, and the US Inception Cohort Group: Use of second line "disease modifying" anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) within 5 months of disease onset by 64% of 750 rheumatoid arthritis patients under care of 142 US rheumatologists: An inception cohort study. Arthritis Rheum 1997; 40: S218.
6. STEIN CM, PINCUS T: Placebo-controlled studies in rheumatoid arthritis: Ethical issues. Lancet 1999; 353: 400-3.
7. O'SULLIVAN JB, CATHCART ES: The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis: Follow-up evaluation of the effect of criteria on rates in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Ann Intern Med 1972; 76: 573-7.
8. EMERY P: Rheumatoid arthritis: Not yet curable with early intensive therapy. Lancet 1997; 350: 304-5.
9. PINCUS T, CALLAHAN LF: How many types of patients meet classification criteria for RA? J Rheumatol 1994; 21: 1385-9.
10. VAN DER HORST-BRUINSMA IE, SPEYER I, VISSER H, BREEDVELD FC, HAZES JMW: : Diagnosis and course of early onset arthritis: Results of a special early arthritis clinic compared to routine patient care. Br J Rheumatol 1998; 37: 1084-8.
11. YELIN E, MEENAN R, NEVITT M, EPSTEIN W: Work disability in rheumatoid arthritis: Effects of disease, social, and work factors. Ann Intern Med 1980; 93: 551-6.
12. PINCUS T, CALLAHAN LF, SALE WG, BROOKS AL, PAYNE LE, VAUGHN WK: Severe functional declines, work disability, and increased mortality in seventy-five rheumatoid arthritis patients studied over nine years. Arthritis Rheum 1984; 27: 864-72.
13. PINCUS T, WOLFE F, CALLAHAN LF: Updating a reassessment of traditional paradigms concerning rheumatoid arthritis. In: WOLFE F and PINCUS T (Eds.): Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pathogenesis, Assessment, Outcome, and Treatment. New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1994: 1-74.
14. VON ZEBEN D, HAZES JMW, ZWINDERMAN AH, VANDEBROUCKE JP, BREEDVELD FC: The severity of rheumatoid arthritis: A 6-year followup study of younger women with symptoms of recent onset. J Rheumatol 1994: 21: 1620-5.
15. SHARP JT: Radiographic evaluation of the course of articular disease. Clin Rheum Dis 1983; 9: 541-57.
16. LARSEN A, DALE K, EEK M, PAHLE J: Radiographic evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis by standard reference films. J Hand Surg [Am] 1983; 8: 667-9.
17. SCOTT DL, BACON PA: Joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis: Radiological assessments and the effects of anti-rheumatic drugs. Rheumatol Int 1985; 5: 193-9.
18. FUCHS HA, KAYE JJ, CALLAHAN LF, NANCE EP, PINCUS T: Evidence of significant radiographic damage in rheumatoid arthritis within the first 2 years of disease. J Rheumatol 1989; 16: 585-91.
19. VAN DER HEIJDE DMFM, VAN LEEUWEN MA, VAN RIEL PLCM, et al.: Biannual radiographic assessments of hands and feet in a three-year prospective followup of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1992; 35: 26-34.
20. VAN LEEUWEN MA, VAN RIJSWIJK MH, VAN DER HEIJDE DMFM, et al.: The acute-phase response in relation to radiographic progression in early rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective study during the first three years of the disease. Br J Rheumatol 1993; 32: 9-13.
21. WOLFE F, SHARP JT: Radiographic outcome of recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis: A 19-year study of radiographic progression. Arthritis Rheum 1998; 41: 1571-82.
22. RAU R, HERBORN G: A modified version of Larsen's scoring method to assess radiologic changes in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1995; 22: 1976-82.
23. FUCHS HA, CALLAHAN LF, KAYE JJ, BROOKS RH, NANCE EP, PINCUS T: Radiographic and joint count findings of the hand in rheumatoid arthritis: Related and unrelated findings. Arthritis Rheum 1988; 31: 44-51.
24. CALLAHAN LF, PINCUS T, HUSTON JW III, BROOKS RH, NANCE EP JR, KAYE JJ: Measures of activity and damage in rheumatoid arthritis: Depiction of changes and prediction of mortality over five years. Arthritis Care Res 1997; 10: 381-94.
25. WOLFE F, CATHEY MA: The assessment and prediction of functional disability in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1991; 18: 1298-1306.
26. PINCUS T, CALLAHAN LF: Rheumatology Function Tests: Grip strength, walking time, button test and questionnaires document and predict longterm morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1992; 19: 1051-7.
27. GARDINER PV, SYKES HR, HASSEY GA, WALKER DJ: An evaluation of the health assessment questionnaire in long-term longitudinal follow-up of disability in rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Rheumatol 1993; 32: 724-8.
28. CALLAHAN LF, BLOCH DA, PINCUS T: Identification of work disability in rheumatoid arthritis: Physical, radiographic and laboratory variables do not add explanatory power to demographic and functional variables. J Clin Epidemiol 1992; 45: 127-38.
29. WOLFE F, ZWILLICH SH: The long-term outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis: A 23-year prospective, longitudinal study of total joint replacement and its predictors in 1,600 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1998; 41: 1072-82.
30. LUBECK DP, SPITZ PW, FRIES JF, WOLFE F, MITCHELL DM, ROTH SH: A multicenter study of annual health service utilization and costs in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1986; 29: 488-93.
31. GABRIEL SE, CROWSON CS, CAMPION ME, O'FALLON WM: Indirect and nonmedical costs among people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis compared with nonarthritic controls. J Rheumatol 1997; 24: 43-8.
32. YELIN E, CALLAHAN LF: The economic cost and social and psychological impact of musculoskeletal conditions. Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38: 1351-62.
33. LUBECK DP: The economic impact of arthritis. Arthritis Care Res 1995; 8: 304-10.
34. GORDON DA, STEIN JL, BRODER I: The extra-articular features of rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic analysis of 127 cases. Am J Med 1973; 54: 445-52.
35. PINCUS T, CALLAHAN LF: Taking mortality in rheumatoid arthritis seriously - Predictive markers, socioeconomic status and comorbidity. J Rheumatol 1986; 13: 841-5.
36. PINCUS T, CALLAHAN LF, VAUGHN WK: Questionnaire, walking time and button test measures of functional capacity as predictive markers for mortality in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1987; 14: 240-51.
37. PINCUS T, BROOKS RH, CALLAHAN LF: Prediction of long-term mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis according to simple questionnaire and joint count measures. Ann Intern Med 1994; 120: 26-34.
38. THOULD AK, SIMON G: Assessment of radiological changes in the hands and feet in rheumatoid arthritis: Their correlation with prognosis. Ann Rheum Dis 1966; 25: 220-8.
39. BROOK A, CORBETT M: Radiographic changes in early rheumatoid disease. Ann Rheum Dis 1977; 36: 71-3.
40. EMERY P, SALMON M: Early rheumatoid arthritis: time to aim for remission? Ann Rheum Dis 1995; 54: 944-7.
41. WEINBLATT ME: Rheumatoid arthritis: Treat now, not later ! (editorial). Ann Intern Med 1996; 124: 773-4.
42. PINCUS T, STEIN CM, WOLFE F: "No evidence of disease" in rheumatoid arthritis using methotrexate in combination with other drugs: A contemporary goal for rheumatology care? Clin Exp Rheumatol 1997; 15:591-6.
43. BREEDVELD FC: New perspectives on treating rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med 1995; 333: 183-4.
44. PINCUS T: Aggressive treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis to prevent joint damage. Bull Rheum Dis 1999; 477: 2-7.
45. WOLFE F, HAWLEY DJ: Remission in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1985; 12: 245-52.
46. LUUKKAINEN R, KAJANDER A, ISOMAKI H: Effect of gold on progression of erosions in rheumatoid arthritis: Better results with early treatment. Scand J Rheumatol 1977; 6: 189-92.
47. VAN DER HEIJDE DMFM, VAN RIEL PLCM, NUVER-ZWART IH, GRIBNAU FWJ, VAN DE PUTTE LBA: Effects of hydroxychloroquine and sulphasalazine on progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet 1989; 1: 1036-8.
48. RAU R, SCHATTENKIRCHNER M, MÜLLER-FASSBENDER H, KAIK B, ZEIDLER H: A three year comparative multicenter study of auranofin (AF) and gold sodium thiomalate (GST) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Clin Rheumatol 1987; 6 (Suppl. 2): 43-52.
49. VAN DER HEIDE A, JACOBS JW, BIJLSMA JW, et al.: The effectiveness of early treatment with "second-line" antirheumatic drugs: A randomized controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1996; 124: 699-707.
50. FOØRRE Ø: Radiologic evidence of disease modification in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with cyclosporine: Results of a 48-week multi-center study comparing low-dose cyclosporine with placebo. Arthritis Rheum 1994; 37: 1506-12.
51. VAN RIEL PLCM, VAN DER HEIJDE DMFM, NUVER-ZWART IH, VAN DE PUTTE LBA: Radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis: Results of 3 comparative trials. J Rheumatol 1995; 22: 1797-9.
52. PASERO G, PRIOLO F, MARUBINI E, et al.: Slow progression of joint damage in early rheumatoid arthritis treated with cyclosporin A. Arthritis Rheum 1996; 39: 1006-15.
53. ABU-SHAKRA M, TOKER R, FLUSSER D, et al.: Clinical and radiographic outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis patients not treated with disease-modifying drugs. Arthritis Rheum 1998; 41:1190-5.
54. WOLFE F, HAWLEY DJ, CATHEY MA: Termination of slow acting anti-rheumatic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: A 14-year prospective evaluation of 1017 consecutive starts. J Rheumatol 1990; 17: 994-1002.
55. PINCUS T, MARCUM SB, CALLAHAN LF: Long-term drug therapy for rheumatoid arthritis in seven rheumatology private practices: II. Second-line drugs and prednisone. J Rheumatol 1992; 19: 1885-94.
56. FRIES JF: Clinical implications of the relative therapeutic toxicity of medications used to treatment rheumatoid arthritis. In: WOLFE F and PINCUS T (Eds.): Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pathogenesis, Assessment, Outcome, and Treatment. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1994: 403-13.
57. TUGWELL P, PINCUS T, YOCUM D, et al.: Combination therapy with cyclosporine and methotrexate in severe rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med 1995; 333: 137-41.
58. STEIN CM, PINCUS T, YOCUM D, et al.: Combination treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis with cyclosporine and methotrexate for forty-eight weeks: An open-label extension study. Arthritis Rheum 1997; 40: 1843-51.
59. MLADENOVIC V, DOMLJAN Z, ROZMAN B, et al.: Safety and effectiveness of leflunomide in the treatment of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase II study. Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38: 1595-1603.
60. WEINBLATT ME, KREMER JM, COBLYN JS, et al.: Leflunomide plus methotrexate in refractory rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study. Arthritis Rheum 1997; 40: S193 (Abstract).
61. WEINBLATT ME, KREMER JM, BANKHURST AD, et al.: A trial of etanercept, a recombinant tumor necrosis factor receptor: Fc fusion protein, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving methotrexate. N Engl J Med 1999; 340: 253-9.
62. MAINI RN, BREEDVELD FC, KALDEN JR, et al.: Therapeutic efficacy of multiple intravenous infusions of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody combined with low-dose weekly methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1998; 41: 1552-63.
63. HOFFMEISTER RT: Methotrexate therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: 15 years experience. Am J Med 1983; 75 (Suppl. 6A): 69-73.
64. KREMER JM: Safety, efficacy, and mortality in a long-term cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis taking methotrexate: Followup after a mean of 13.3 years. Arthritis Rheum 1997; 40: 984-5.
65. WEINBLATT ME, MAIER AL, FRASER PA, COBLYN JS: Longterm prospective study of methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis: Conclusion after 132 months of therapy. J Rheumatol 1998; 25: 238-42.
66. THOMPSON PW, KIRWAN JR, BARNES CG: Practical results of treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatoid drugs. Br J Rheumatol 1985; 24: 167-75.
67. WEINBLATT ME: Efficacy of methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Rheumatol 1998; 34 (Suppl.): 43-8.
68. KREMER JM: Historical overview of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with an emphasis on methotrexate. J Rheumatol 1996; 23 (Suppl. 44): 34-7.
69. FELSON DT, ANDERSON JJ, BOERS M, et al.: The American College of Rheumatology preliminary core set of disease activity measures for rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials. Arthritis Rheum 1993; 36: 729-40.
70. TUGWELL P, BOERS M: OMERACT Committee. Proceedings of the OMERACT Conferences on outcome measures in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials, Maastrict, The Netherlands. J Rheumatol 1993; 20: 527-91.
71. VAN RIEL PLCM: Provisional guidelines for measuring disease activity in clinical trials on rheumatoid arthritis (Editorial). Br J Rheumatol 1994; 31: 793-4.
72. HAWLEY DJ, WOLFE F: Sensitivity to change of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and other clinical and health status measures in rheumatoid arthritis: Results of short term clinical trials and observational studies versus long term observational studies. Arthritis Care Res 1992; 5: 130-6.
73. FEX E, JONSSON K, JOHNSON U, EBERHARDT K: Development of radiographic damage during the first 5-6 yr of rheumatoid arthritis. A prospective follow-up study of a Swedish cohort. Br J Rheumatol 1996; 35: 1106-15.
74. MULHERIN D, FITZGERALD O, BRESNIHAN B: Clinical improvement and radiological deterioration in rheumatoid arthritis: Evidence that pathogenesis of synovial inflammation and articular erosion may differ. Br J Rheumatol 1996; 35: 1263-8.
75. FELSON DT, ANDERSON JJ, BOERS M, et al.: American College of Rheumatology preliminary definition of improvement in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38: 727-35.
76. FELSON DT, ANDERSON JI, LANGE MLM, WELLS G, LAVALLEY MP: Should improvement in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials be defined as fifty percent or seventy percent improvement in core set measures, rather than twenty percent? Arthritis Rheum 1998; 41: 1564-70.
77. PINCUS T, STEIN CM: ACR20: Clinical or statistical significance? Arthritis Rheum 1999; 42: 1572-6.
78. PINCUS T, BREEDVELD FC, EMERY P: Does partial control of inflammation prevent long-term joint damage? Clinical rationale for combination therapy with multiple disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S2-S7.
79. SCOTT DL, FARROW S, YEO SI: Early developments in combination therapy. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S8-S12.
80. O'GRADAIGH D, SCOTT DGI: Pyramids to myriads: The combination conundrum in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S13-S19.
81. CHOY E, PANAYI G: Mechanisms of action of second-line agents and choice of drugs in combination therapy. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S20-S28.
82. MÜNSTER T, FURST DE: Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) combinations to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999:17 (Suppl. 18): S29-S36.
83. CONAGHAN PG, MCGONAGLE D, WAKEFIELD R, EMERY P: New approaches to imaging of early rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999:17 (Suppl. 18): S37-S42.
84. KREMER JM: Methotrexate and emerging therapies. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S43-S46.
85. STEIN CM, PINCUS T: Combination treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with cyclosporine and methotrexate. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S47-S52.
86. O'DELL JR: Combination DMARD therapy with hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalzine and methotrexate. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S53-S58.
87. MÖTTÖNEN TT, HANNONEN PJ, BOERS M: Combination DMARD therapy including corticosteroids in early rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999:17 (Suppl. 18): S59-S65.
88. MROCZKOWSKI PJ, WEINBLATT ME, KREMER JM: Methotrexate and leflunomide combination therapy for patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S66-S68.
89. BANKHURST AD: Etanercept and methotrexate combination therapy. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S69-S72.
90. ANTONI C, KALDEN JR: Combination therapy of the chimeric monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor α antibody (infliximab) with methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S73-S77.
91. HAWLEY DJ, WOLFE F, PINCUS T: Use of combination therapy in the routine care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Physician and patient surveys. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S78-S82.
92. RAU R: Combination DMARD treatment with parenteral gold and methotrexate. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S83-S90.
93. JOHNS K, LITTLEJOHN G: Clinical experience with combination disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy with cyclosporine. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S91-S94.
94. DIJKMANS BAC, LANDEWÉ RBM, VAN DEN BORNE BEEM, BREEDVELD FC: Combination cyclosporine and (hydroxy)chloroquine in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S103-S104.
95. BENSEN WM, BENSEN W: Aim for remission or "personal best" using combination DMARD therapy with methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S95-S101.
96. VAN DEN BERG WB, JOOSTEN LAB, VAN DE LOO FAJ: TNFα and IL-1β are separate targets in chronic arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S105-S114.
97. WILLIAMS RO, MALFAIT A-M, BUTLER DM, WALMSLEY MJ, FELDMANN M, MAINI RN: Combination therapy with DMARDs and biological agents in collagen-induced arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S115-S120.
98. ISAACS JD, MORGAN AW, STRAND V: Combination biologic therapy. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1999: 17 (Suppl. 18): S121-S124.