Session Information
Date: Monday, November 14, 2016
Title: Rheumatoid Arthritis – Clinical Aspects - Poster II: Co-morbidities and Complications
Session Type: ACR Poster Session B
Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM
Background/Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment may differ according to hepatitis B state and consequently bring about different outcome of arthritis. Only a small number of studies have addressed the differences in disease characteristics and treatment patterns of RA in relation to hepatitis B state. However, it has not yet been elucidated whether hepatitis B affects treatment outcome such as disease activity. We investigated possible differences in change of arthritis activity between RA patients according to concomitant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
Methods: We conducted an age-matched, sex-matched and entry-time-matched cohort study using single center data, from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2015. Up to three hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were matched to each patient with HBsAg-positive RA by age, sex and year of cohort entry. The longitudinal relationship between HBsAg-positivity and RA activity was analyzed using generalized estimating equations in linear regression models. Similar analysis was performed for RA medication use within each group.
Results: One hundred fifty-two patients were included in the study; 40 were HBsAg-positive. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between groups. In regression analysis, RA activity showed time-dependent improvement. The reductions of swollen joint count over time were significantly larger in HBsAg-negative group (b-coefficient 7.91 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.41, 14.41], P = 0.017). However, changes of disease activity score in 28 joints with 3 variables (DAS28-3), tender joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level did not differ between groups. There was no difference in alanine aminotransferase level. Over all visits, HBsAg-positive patients were less likely to receive methotrexate (OR 0.09 [95% CI 0.04-0.19], P < 0.0001) and more likely to receive sulfasalazine (OR 3.67 [95% CI 1.94-6.95], P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: RA medication use was different according to HBsAg-positivity. However, the improvement of RA activity was not significantly affected by concomitant hepatitis B state.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Eun Y, Jeong H, Park EJ, Chai JY, Kim H, Lee J, Koh EM, Cha HS. Disease Characteristics and Change of Arthritis Activity According to Treatment in Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016; 68 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/disease-characteristics-and-change-of-arthritis-activity-according-to-treatment-in-hepatitis-b-surface-antigen-positive-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients/. Accessed .« Back to 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting
ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/disease-characteristics-and-change-of-arthritis-activity-according-to-treatment-in-hepatitis-b-surface-antigen-positive-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients/