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Adalimumab effectiveness in Behçet’s disease: short and long-term data from a multicenter retrospective observational study

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Abstract

Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of adalimumab (ADA) during a 24-month study period in patients affected with Behçet’s disease (BD). Clinical and therapeutic data from 100 consecutive BD patients treated with ADA were retrospectively collected and statistically analyzed. At 12-week follow-up, ADA induced clinical efficacy in 81 patients, with a mean time to response of 7.63 ± 3.43 weeks; 25 (30.9 %) patients underwent a disease relapse after 22.17 ± 1.57 months, but treatment adjustments allowed a recovery of efficacy in 11 cases. At 24-month follow-up, 67/100 patients were still on ADA therapy despite concomitant treatments. No differences were identified between ADA monotherapy and co-treatment with DMARDs about efficacy (p = 0.09), time to response (p = 0.61), relapses (p = 0.36), and ADA discontinuation (p = 0.40). No differences existed in patients switched from other tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors about efficacy at 12 weeks (p = 0.13) and rapidity of response (p = 0.93) while relapses (p = 0.01) and ADA discontinuation at 24 months (p = 0.001) were significantly more common. Adverse events occurred in 10 patients. ADA confirmed its effectiveness in BD. Combination therapy with DMARDs seems not significantly superior to monotherapy. Frequency and time to response for ADA was not conditioned by a previous lack or loss of efficacy to other TNF-α inhibitors, but long-term loss of efficacy seemed more likely in patients switched from other anti-TNF agents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center of Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases and Behçet’s Disease Clinic, Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Antonio Vitale, Stefano Gentileschi, Bruno Frediani, Mauro Galeazzi & Luca Cantarini

  2. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Giacomo Emmi, Elena Silvestri & Maria Letizia Urban

  3. Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Giuseppe Lopalco & Florenzo Iannone

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy

    Claudia Fabiani

  5. Institute of Pediatrics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

    Donato Rigante

  6. Rheumatology Unit, Policlinico “Le Scotte”, University of Siena, viale Bracci 1, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Luca Cantarini

Authors
  1. Antonio Vitale
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  2. Giacomo Emmi
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  3. Giuseppe Lopalco
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  4. Stefano Gentileschi
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  5. Elena Silvestri
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  6. Claudia Fabiani
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  7. Maria Letizia Urban
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  8. Bruno Frediani
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  9. Mauro Galeazzi
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  10. Florenzo Iannone
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  11. Donato Rigante
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  12. Luca Cantarini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luca Cantarini.

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Donato Rigante and Luca Cantarini equally contributed to this manuscript.

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Vitale, A., Emmi, G., Lopalco, G. et al. Adalimumab effectiveness in Behçet’s disease: short and long-term data from a multicenter retrospective observational study. Clin Rheumatol 36, 451–455 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3417-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3417-4

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