This is of great help for physicians in the joint physician-patient decision while offering TOL.
As the efficacy and safety profile of infliximab and adalimumab appear to be similar, the decision regarding which anti-TNF therapy to use may be determined by joint physician-patient discussion and ultimately patient choice.
The correlation coefficients between the Thai HAQ and patient global assessment of disease activity and ACR functional class were higher than those between the Thai HAQ and number of tender joints, number of swollen joints, physician global assessment of disease activity, and pain level.
All RA patients had active disease defined by three or more tender joints, three or more swollen joints, physician and patient assessment of pain of at least 40 mm or more on a 10 cm visual analogue scale and morning stiffness for >1 hour, with an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (>28 mm/hour) or C-reactive protein (CRP >8 mg/l).
Secondary outcomes included the changes in the ACR core disease measures, including the number of tender and swollen joints, physician global assessment, patient global assessment and the HAQ; DAS 28 score and the number of patients who achieved ACR 20 at week 10.
At 50 weeks, there were no significant differences between the two DMARDs in active joint count, physician global assessment, or ESR.
Standard baseline and consecutive rheumatic evaluations included, height, weight and blood pressure measurements, extended joint counts, physician and patient-reported outcomes [ 25, 26], disease activity score evaluated in 28 joints (DAS28) [ 27], adverse events and comorbidity.
Data on use of nbDMARDs and biologic DMARDs, 28-joint tender and swollen joint counts, physician and patient global assessments of disease activity, patient assessment of pain and modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ) scores assessing physical function were recorded at the time of the clinical encounter [ 18].
Among the data elements collected in the registry relevant to this study are a 28 tender and swollen joint count, physician's and patient's global assessments of disease activity, patient's assessment of pain, the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ) assessing physical function and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
Active psoriasis was defined as at least two psoriatic plaques; active arthritis was defined as at least three tender and swollen joints, and a physician's joint assessment of moderate or worse.
