Sustained inhibition of progressive joint damage with rituximab plus methotrexate in early active rheumatoid arthritis: 2-year results from the randomised controlled trial IMAGE.

Background: In the IMAGEstudy, rituximab plus methotrexate (MTX) inhibited joint damage and improved clinical outcomes at 1 year in MTX-naïve patients with early active rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess joint damage progression and clinical outcomes over 2 years.

Methods: Patients (n=755) were randomised to receive rituximab 2×500 mg+MTX, 2×1000 mg+MTX or placebo+MTX.

Retreatment with rituximab based on a treatment-to-target approach provides better disease control than treatment as needed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective pooled analysis.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety profiles of two different rituximab retreatment regimens in patients with RA.

Methods: Four hundred and ninety-three RA patients with an inadequate response to MTX recruited into rituximab Phase II/III studies received further courses of open-label rituximab based on two approaches: (i) treatment to target (TT): patients assessed 24 weeks after each course and retreated if not in remission [DAS in 28 joints based on ESR (DAS-28-ESR) ≥ 2.6]; (ii) treatment as needed (PRN): patients retreated at the physician's discretion ≥24 weeks following the first course and ≥16 weeks following further courses, if both swollen and tender joint counts were ≥8.

Typing of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytokine and receptor genes using SNaPshot.

Associations have been described between polymorphisms in cytokine genes and severity of autoimmune diseases, outcome of infectious disease, and outcome following transplantation. Many methods now exist for typing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and these can be applied to typing cytokine gene and cytokine receptor gene variation. A system for typing multiple cytokine and receptor gene polymorphisms using a primer extension method, SNaPshot (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA), has been assessed.