This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Findings support efficacy of abatacept for joint-related results in patients with PsA
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Among patients with psoriatic arthritis, abatacept was associated with a decrease in regulatory T-cell expression, according to a recently published study.
“The results of the study suggest that treatment with abatacept 10 mg/kg of body weight is associated with significant improvement in the joint-related clinical outcomes but not skin-related outcomes in biologic [disease-modifying antirheumatic drug] DMARD-naïve [psoriatic arthritis] PsA patients and might be an effective treatment option in patients with PsA,” Oliver Fitzgerald, MD, from St. Vincent’s Hospital in Ireland, and colleagues wrote. “We observed different patterns of efficacy of abatacept in the joints and in lesional skin. Reduction in FOXP3+ T-cell expression in the synovium, but not in the psoriatic lesion following abatacept treatment may indicate abnormal Treg function in PsA with differential suppressive capacity in the synovium compared to the skin.”
Researchers assessed 15 patients with psoriatic arthritis who were naïve to biologic treatment. Patients received 3 mg/kg intravenous abatacept or placebo on day 1, 15, 29 and then 10 mg/kg abatacept every 28 days for 5 months.
Investigators found 90% of patients were EULAR criteria responders and 30% achieved a psoriasis area severity index 50 at 6 months. In addition, reductions in synovitis and vascularity macroscopic scores were consistent with a decrease in total MRI score. Furthermore, abatacept decreased the immunohistological expression of CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in the synovium after 6 months. However, there was no change in any skin measure. – by Will A. Offit
Disclosure: Fitzgerald reports he received research grants from Pfizer, AbbVie, BMS and UCB.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts