Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42428226›Full record

ArticleCureus2026

Menopausal Status and Disease Outcomes in Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Anti-IL-6 Therapies.

Ghizlane Ghoullam, Imane El Binoune, Bouchra Amine, Ikram El Moubarik, Salma Zemrani, Samira Rostom, Rachid Bahiri

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Ghizlane GhoullamRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.
Imane El BinouneRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.
Bouchra AmineRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.
Ikram El MoubarikRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.
Salma ZemraniRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.
Samira RostomRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.
Rachid BahiriRheumatology, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, MAR.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which biologic therapies target remission or low disease activity. Sex hormones, particularly estrogens, influence immune responses, and hormonal changes across life stages may impact RA course and therapeutic outcomes. This study aimed to compare remission between menopausal and non-menopausal women with RA, assess time to first remission, and identify predictors of sustained remission.

methodsA retrospective longitudinal study was conducted at the Rheumatology Department A of Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat-Salé, Morocco, including RA patients aged ≥18 years, treated with anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) or anti-IL-6 (interleukin-6) for ≥6 months, as monotherapy or combined with csDMARDS. Menopausal status was defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Patients were classified into menopausal (M-Gr) and non-menopausal (NM-Gr) groups. DAS28 and SDAI assessed disease activity. Remission was defined as DAS28-CRP ≤2.6 and sustained remission as ≥6 months.

resultsSeventy-five patients were included: 49 (65.3%) in the menopausal group and 26 (34.7%) in the non-menopausal group. The mean age was 55 ± 13 years, and the mean disease duration was 15 ± 8 years. Anti-TNFα therapy was used in 55 (73.3%) patients and anti-IL-6 therapy in 20 (26.7%) patients. In addition, 50 (66.7%) patients had prior exposure to bDMARDs. Remission was achieved in 25 (51.1%) patients in the M-Gr and 12 (46.2%) in the NM-Gr (p = 0.68). The median time to first remission was 12 weeks in the M-Gr compared with 14 weeks in the NM-Gr, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.08). Sustained remission was observed in 23 (46.9%) patients in the M-Gr and eight (30.7%) in the NM-Gr (p = 0.17). Higher baseline swollen joint count (OR = 0.28, p = 0.02) and higher baseline tender joint count (OR = 0.35, p = 0.03) were independently associated with lower odds of sustained remission. Furthermore, Menopausal status was not independently associated with sustained remission (OR = 0.19, p = 0.43). DISCUSSION: Our study indicates that menopausal status does not significantly influence remission rates in women with RA receiving anti-TNF or anti-IL6 therapy. These findings suggest that biologic treatments may overcome hormonal-related differences in inflammatory activity.

conclusionMenopausal status was not significantly associated with remission outcomes in RA patients treated with biologic therapy.

Indexed as

biologic therapydisease activityestrogensmenopauseremissionrheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID42428226
PMCPMC13349319

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.