ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Meetings
    • ACR Convergence 2024
    • ACR Convergence 2023
    • 2023 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • ACR Meetings

Abstract Number: 0635

Hydroxychloroquine Is Not Associated with Reduced Influenza Admissions in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Bonnia Liu1, Victor Yang2, Christopher McMaster3, Russell Buchanan4, Albert Frauman5 and David Liew6, 1Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia, Macleod, Victoria, Australia, 2Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia, Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia, 3Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Pascoe Vale South, Victoria, Australia, 4Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2020

Keywords: Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (Dmards), Infection, rheumatoid arthritis, risk factors

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Session Information

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2020

Title: Infection-related Rheumatic Disease Poster

Session Type: Poster Session B

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is commonly used as a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). HCQ has previously been the subject of interest for its in-vitro antiviral activity against influenza A strains, although in-vivo studies have yielded conflicting results. There has recently been renewed interest in the use of HCQ as prophylaxis and treatment for respiratory viral infections. Patients with RA are known to have increased risk of influenza infections and influenza-associated hospitalizations. They thus potentially provide the opportunity to explore the antiviral effects of HCQ. Our study aims to examine the association of HCQ use among RA patients with hospital inpatient admissions for influenza.

Methods: We examined general medical inpatient admissions for patients with a diagnosis of RA in a large tertiary hospital between January 2014 and December 2018. Natural language processing, ICD-10 codes, and medical record review were utilized to determine patient demographic data (age, gender, and smoking history), medical diagnosis, and medication use. Major confounders (smoking status, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), age, gender, and other DMARD use) were selected. DMARD use was defined as medical record documentation of use at time of admission. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association of HCQ use and inpatient admission for influenza. The strength of association was assessed using adjusted odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: From 909 inpatient admissions during the study period, 23 admissions were primarily for influenza. There were no statistical differences in patient demographics or DMARD medication between the two groups (Table 1). A total of 265 (30%) non-influenza admissions and 9 (39%) influenza admissions used HCQ at time of admission. In our multivariate regression model, HCQ use among patients with RA was not associated with a statistically significant difference in inpatient admission for influenza when adjusted for confounders (OR 1.45, CI 0.58 – 3.59).  Likewise, the lack of association was persistent when adjusted for methotrexate (OR 1.42, CI 0.58 – 3.50) and corticosteroid use (OR 1.40, CI 0.56 – 3.54).

Conclusion: There was no association in our cohort to support the contention that HCQ use prevents inpatient admission for influenza among RA patients, and in fact may even favour the possibility of increased risk. This study contributes to the growing evidence that HCQ does not confer a protective effect for respiratory viral infections.

Table 1: Characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis patients admitted for influenza compared to those admitted for other indications.


Disclosure: B. Liu, None; V. Yang, None; C. McMaster, None; R. Buchanan, None; A. Frauman, None; D. Liew, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Liu B, Yang V, McMaster C, Buchanan R, Frauman A, Liew D. Hydroxychloroquine Is Not Associated with Reduced Influenza Admissions in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/hydroxychloroquine-is-not-associated-with-reduced-influenza-admissions-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients/. Accessed .
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

« Back to ACR Convergence 2020

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/hydroxychloroquine-is-not-associated-with-reduced-influenza-admissions-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

All abstracts accepted to ACR Convergence are under media embargo once the ACR has notified presenters of their abstract’s acceptance. They may be presented at other meetings or published as manuscripts after this time but should not be discussed in non-scholarly venues or outlets. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the ACR.

Accepted abstracts are made available to the public online in advance of the meeting and are published in a special online supplement of our scientific journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. Information contained in those abstracts may not be released until the abstracts appear online. In an exception to the media embargo, academic institutions, private organizations, and companies with products whose value may be influenced by information contained in an abstract may issue a press release to coincide with the availability of an ACR abstract on the ACR website. However, the ACR continues to require that information that goes beyond that contained in the abstract (e.g., discussion of the abstract done as part of editorial news coverage) is under media embargo until 10:00 AM ET on November 14, 2024. Journalists with access to embargoed information cannot release articles or editorial news coverage before this time. Editorial news coverage is considered original articles/videos developed by employed journalists to report facts, commentary, and subject matter expert quotes in a narrative form using a variety of sources (e.g., research, announcements, press releases, events, etc.).

Violation of this policy may result in the abstract being withdrawn from the meeting and other measures deemed appropriate. Authors are responsible for notifying colleagues, institutions, communications firms, and all other stakeholders related to the development or promotion of the abstract about this policy. If you have questions about the ACR abstract embargo policy, please contact ACR abstracts staff at [email protected].

Wiley

  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences

© Copyright 2025 American College of Rheumatology