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Little treatment effect seen in early immunosuppressive treatment of dcSSc
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Little treatment effect was observed in patients with early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis after treatment with immunosuppressant therapy, according to research presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting.
Researchers studied 125 patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) with disease duration of less than 3 years and at least 1 year of patient data available. Patients were enrolled in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group and had a mean age of 52.3 years; 79.2% of patients were women, and mean disease duration was 1.6 years. Twelve patients received prednisone alone, 23 patients received prednisone combined with other immunosuppressives, 27 received methotrexate alone, six received mycophenolate alone and five received cyclophosphamide alone.
Minimal important differences (MID) for modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS), physician and patient global assessments, function and pain through the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) were analyzed using a regression model in order to determine baseline predictors of change, as well as whether immunosuppressive treatment yielded the attainment of the MID.
The MID were achieved by 40.4% of patients for pain, 54.1% of patients for patient global assessment, 39.5% of patients for physician global assessment, 32.7% of patients for HAQ and 36.1% of patients for MRSS. Baseline variables were associated with MID, and age, sex, smoking, restrictive lung disease and type of treatment were associated with some outcomes, according to the researchers.
Although univariate analysis revealed an association with some outcomes and treatment, multivariate analysis showed no association between treatment and outcomes. - by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Choy T, et al. Paper #97. Presented at: Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting. Feb. 4-7, 2015; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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