Key clinical point: The risk for serious infections (SI) was significantly lower in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) vs. patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi).
Major finding: The crude incidence rate for SI was lower in patients with PsA (2.16; 95% CI 1.66-2.81) vs. those with RA (4.17; 95% CI 3.52-4.95). Patients with PsA vs. RA still had a lower risk of contracting SI even after adjusting for multiple factors (adjusted hazard ratio 0.65; P = .025).
Study details: Findings are from a prospective observational multicenter study including 1,352 and 1,007 patients with RA and PsA, respectively, from the Norwegian-Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug Registry. A total of 3,169 TNFi treatment courses were included in the study.
Disclosures: This study was funded by South-Eastern Health Authority and received partial support from AbbVie, BMS, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB. The authors report receiving personal fees and grants from the above-mentioned sources and other pharmaceutical companies.
Source: Christensen IE et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021 (Oct 8). Doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-221007.