Serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites at 12 weeks during tocilizumab therapy are predictive of 52 weeks-disease activity score-remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: To verify whether serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) are predictive of future clinical remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving tocilizumab (TCZ) therapy.

Methods: A total of 46 patients with RA receiving TCZ therapy were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into remission and non-remission groups based on disease activity score 28 (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or clinical disease activity index (CDAI) at 52 weeks. Associations between serum levels of ROM, C-reactive protein (CRP), and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) at 4 and 12 weeks and the remission by DAS28-ESR and CDAI at 52 weeks were investigated.

Results: There were no significant differences in CRP and MMP-3 between DAS- or CDAI-remission and non-remission groups at 12 weeks. However, ROM in DAS-remission group were significantly lower than those in the non-remission group. For ROM, the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.735 and the cut-off value that distinguished DAS-remission group from non-remission group was 305.5 U. Carr (sensitivity: 70.0%, specificity: 72.2%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ROM at 12 weeks was associated with DAS-remission at 52 weeks (odds ratio: 6.067, 95% confidence interval: 1.305-28.203).

Conclusion: Serum levels of ROM at 12 weeks during TCZ therapy may be predictive of DAS-remission at 52 weeks in patients with RA.