BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF ONE YEAR ETANERCEPT TREATMENT ON THE LIPID PROFILE IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS - ETRA STUDY

Background: Effective anti-inflammatory treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α inhibitors may have beneficial effects on the lipid profile. Available evidence is derived from short-term studies without focussing on apolipoproteins. Moreover, it is not known if the effects of TNFα inhibitors on the lipid profile in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differs between patients responding and non responding on the therapy. Objectives: We investigated the effect of long-term etanercept treatment on the lipid profile in a large sample of RA patients, stratified for EULAR response. Methods: Between 2004 and 2008, 292 consecutive patients with active RA (DAS28 > 3.2) and a new etanercept prescription were included in an observational cohort. Clinical response variables and lipid samples were collected at baseline, 4 months, and 1 year of etanercept treatment. Generalized estimating equation analyses were used to investigate the longitudinal course of lipid levels in relation to clinical response parameters. Results: At 4 months 76% and at one year 85% of the remaining patients were good or moderate responders according to the EULAR response criteria. Significant changes in Apo A-I (increased by 3.5%; p=0.002 at 4 months, 3.1%; p=0.005 at 1 year) and Apo B/Apo A-I ratio (decreased by 6.2%; p<0.001 at 4 months, 3.6%; p=0.025 at 1 year) were observed in EULAR responders. No significant differences were observed in EULAR non-responders at all time points. Conclusion: Treatment with etanercept resulted in a significant and sustained improvement of the Apo B/Apo A-I ratio in patients with good or moderate EULAR response. Ultimately this may have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular risk in RA patients. Disclosure of Interest: None declaredCitation: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, volume 69, supplement 3, year 2010, page 203Session: Rheumatoid arthritis – anti-TNF therapy (Poster Presentations )