Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40230031›Full record

ArticleImmunity, inflammation and disease2025

Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted-synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar.

Sreethish Sasi, Hamad Abdel Hadi, Masautso Chaponda, Reem El Ajez, Mohamed Ataelmanan, Sief Khasawneh, Hind Saqallah, Maisa Ali, Nabeel Abdulla, Javed Iqbal and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Immunity, inflammation and disease, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Central line-associatedQatar medical journal · 2025
    Article
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

13 authors.

Sreethish SasiDepartment of Medicine, Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.ORCID 0000-0002-4098-0459
Hamad Abdel HadiDepartment of Medicine, Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Masautso ChapondaDepartment of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division, Al-Wakra Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Reem El AjezDepartment of Pharmacy, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.ORCID 0000-0001-7824-3203
Mohamed AtaelmananDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Sief KhasawnehDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Hind SaqallahDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Maisa AliDepartment of Medicine, Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Nabeel AbdullaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Javed IqbalDepartment of Nursing, Communicable Diseases Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.ORCID 0000-0003-2627-685X
Ali S OmraniDepartment of Medicine, Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Muna Al MaslamaniDepartment of Medicine, Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Abdullatif Al-KhalDepartment of Medicine, Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

Funding

This article was funded by Qatar National Library under QNL Open Access Program.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBiologic and targeted-synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), are pivotal in the management of autoimmune-inflammatory disorders, acting by suppressing pathological immune activation. Because of associated immune dysfunction, opportunistic or serious infections (SIs), and latent disease reactivation is frequently reported. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes of SIs in patients treated with b/tsDMARDs in Qatar.

methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation, including all the patients treated with one of 10 b/tsDMARDs, between January 2017 and July 2021. Besides descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test and Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis were used for statistical analysis.

resultsOut of 1092 patients, 86 (7.9%) had SIs, with an incidence rate of 39.4 per 1000 patient years. Mean duration of onset was 10.8 months post-initiation of therapy. Younger age groups (18-52 years) were predominantly affected. A significant association was observed between the primary diagnosis (rheumatological followed by gastrointestinal, neurological, and dermatological disorders) and the occurrence of SIs (χ² = 9.512, p < 0.050). Adalimumab and infliximab had a higher risk of SIs compared to other b/tsDMARDs. There was no significant difference between TNF-inhibitors and others. Ocrelizumab was significantly associated with incidence of COVID-19 SIs (χ² = 16.84, p = 0.0000408), and etanercept with Staphylococcus aureus SIs (χ² = 17.51, p = 0.0000285). Predominant infection sites were skin-soft tissue and respiratory tract. Most of the SIs were secondary to either bacteria (43%) or viruses (17.4%). The mean duration of hospitalization was 9 days, and 7% of patients required critical care, with no recorded 90-day mortality.

conclusionsPatients with inflammatory conditions managed with b/tsDMARDs are at significant risk of SIs, which necessitate appropriate patient selection weighing benefits and risks, as well as careful long-term management that include patient education and relevant preventive therapy.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsBiological ProductsOpportunistic InfectionsAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedQatarRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsYoung AdultAntirheumatic AgentsBiological ProductsbiologicDMARDimmunocompromisedTNF‐alpha inhibitortofacitinib

Identifiers

PMID40230031
PMCPMC11997017

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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.