Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18930987›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of the rheumatic diseases2009

Infliximab improves vascular stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

M Wong, S P Oakley, L Young, B Y Jiang, A Wierzbicki, G Panayi, P Chowienczyk, B Kirkham

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.

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  11. Inflammation and the Heart: The Role of Traditional Factors.Cardiology research and practice · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

M WongGuy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
S P Oakley
L Young
B Y Jiang
A Wierzbicki
G Panayi
P Chowienczyk
B Kirkham
St Thomas' Hospital · GBKing's College London · GBGuy's Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased cardiovascular mortality. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-blocking therapy has been shown to reduce RA disease activity measures and joint damage progression. Some observational studies suggest that TNFalpha blockade reduces mortality and incidence of first cardiovascular events. The mechanisms contributing to these outcomes are unclear. This study assessed the effects of infliximab treatment on vascular stiffness and structure in patients with RA.

methodsA post hoc analysis of longitudinal data from a randomised placebo controlled study evaluated the effect of infliximab on vascular assessments. 26 patients received intravenous infliximab (3 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2, 6 and every 8 weeks thereafter to week 54. Patients were followed up to 56 weeks of infliximab therapy with assessments of RA disease activity, cardiovascular risk factors, vascular stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV)), carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and carotid artery plaque (CAP). Univariate analyses of changes over time by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were followed by multivariate time-series regression analysis (TSRA) if changes were seen.

resultsPWV was significantly lower (better) after 56 weeks of treatment with infliximab (ANOVA p<0.01, TSRA p<0.01). However, CIMT (ANOVA p = 0.50) and CAP (chi(2) = 4.13, p = 0.88) did not change over the study period. Multiple cardiovascular risk measures did not change with treatment and did not correlate with changes in measures of vascular structure.

conclusionsArterial stiffness improves with infliximab treatment in RA. This change may help explain the improved cardiovascular disease survival in patients with RA receiving TNFalpha-blocking therapy.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAntibodies, MonoclonalAntirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidBlood Flow VelocityCarotid Artery, CommonCarotid Artery DiseasesEpidemiologic MethodsFemaleHumansInfliximabMaleMiddle AgedPulsatile FlowTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaAntibodies, MonoclonalAntirheumatic AgentsInfliximabTumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Identifiers

PMID18930987
PMCPMC2703705
OpenAlexW2155957615

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.