Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28800780›Full record

Observational studyArthritis research & therapy2017

A novel scoring system based on common laboratory tests predicts the efficacy of TNF-inhibitor and IL-6 targeted therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective, multicenter observational study.

Jin Nakagawa, Yoshinobu Koyama, Atsushi Kawakami, Yukitaka Ueki, Hiroshi Tsukamoto, Takahiko Horiuchi, Shuji Nagano, Ayumi Uchino, Toshiyuki Ota, Mitsuteru Akahoshi and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Arthritis research & therapy, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

11 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.

Jin NakagawaDepartment of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Yoshinobu KoyamaJapanese Red-Cross Okayama Hospital, Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, 2-1-1 Aoe, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8607, Japan. ykoyama@gaea.ocn.ne.jp.ORCID 0000-0003-0180-699X
Atsushi KawakamiDepartment of Immunology and Rheumatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
Yukitaka UekiRheumatic and Collagen Disease Center, Sasebo Chuo Hospital, Sasebo, 857-1195, Japan.
Hiroshi TsukamotoDepartment of Rheumatology, Shin-Kokura Hospital, Kitakyushu, 803-8505, Japan.
Takahiko HoriuchiDepartment of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan.
Shuji NaganoCenter for Rheumatic Diseases, Iizuka Hospital, Iizuka, 820-8505, Japan.
Ayumi UchinoCenter for Rheumatic Diseases, Iizuka Hospital, Iizuka, 820-8505, Japan.
Toshiyuki OtaCenter for Rheumatic Diseases, Iizuka Hospital, Iizuka, 820-8505, Japan.
Mitsuteru AkahoshiDepartment of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Koichi AkashiDepartment of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Aso Iizuka Hospital · JPKyushu University · JPKyushu University Beppu Hospital · JPNagasaki University · JPOkayama Red Cross General Hospital · JPSasebo City General Hospital · JPShinKokura Hospital · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrently, although several categories of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are available, there are few data informing selection of initial treatment for individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF-i) and tocilizumab (TCZ) are treated as equivalent treatments in the recent disease management recommendations. We focused on two anticytokine therapies, TCZ and TNF-i, and aimed to develop a scoring system that predicts a better treatment for each RA patient before starting an IL-6 or a TNF-i.

methodsThe expression of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA in peripheral blood from 45 newly diagnosed RA patients was measured by DNA microarrays to evaluate cytokine activation. Next, laboratory indices immediately before commencing treatment and disease activity score improvement ratio after 6 months in 98 patients treated with TCZ or TNF-i were retrospectively analyzed. Some indices correlated with TCZ efficacy were selected and their cutoff values were defined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to develop a scoring system to discriminate between individuals more likely to respond to TCZ or TNF-i. The validity of the scoring system was verified in these 98 patients and an additional 228 patients.

resultsThere was significant inverse correlation between the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA in newly diagnosed RA patients. The analysis of 98 patients revealed significant correlation between TCZ efficacy and platelet counts, hemoglobin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase; in contrast, there was no similar correlation in the TNF-i group. The cutoff values were defined by ROC analysis to develop a scoring system (1 point/item, maximum of 4 points). A good TCZ response was predicted if the score was ≥2; in contrast, TNF-i seemed to be preferable if the score was ≤1. Similar results were obtained in a validation study of an additional 228 patients. If the case scored ≥3, the good responder rates of TCZ/TNF-i were 75.0%/37.9% (p < 0.01) and the non-responder rates were 3.1%/27.6% (p < 0.01), respectively.

conclusionsThe score is easily calculated from common laboratory results. It appears useful for identifying a better treatment at the time of selecting either an IL-6 or a TNF inhibitor.

Indexed as

Interleukin-6 InhibitorsAgedAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidFemaleGene ExpressionHumansInterleukin-6MaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CarePrognosisReceptors, Interleukin-6Reproducibility of ResultsRetrospective StudiesAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntirheumatic AgentsInterleukin-6Interleukin-6 InhibitorsReceptors, Interleukin-6tocilizumabTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaBDMARDs (biologic agents)CytokinesIL-6Rheumatoid arthritisTNF

Identifiers

PMID28800780
PMCPMC5553584
OpenAlexW2744278493

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Registered trials

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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.