Beneficial effects of a 3-week course of intramuscular glucocorticoid injections in patients with very early inflammatory polyarthritis: results of the STIVEA trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether treating patients with very early inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) with a 3-week course of intramuscular (IM) methylprednisolone acetate may postpone the need for disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and prevent IP from evolving into rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Patients with very early IP (4-10 weeks' duration) were randomised to receive three injections of either 80 mg IM methylprednisolone acetate or placebo, given at weekly intervals. Assessments were monthly until 6 months after the first injection, and then concluded at 12 months. The primary outcome was the need to start DMARDs by the 6-month assessment. Secondary outcomes included disease activity and final clinical diagnosis by the rheumatologist at 12 months.


RESULTS
Patients in the placebo group (76%) were more likely to need DMARDs during the first 6 months of the trial than patients in the glucocorticoid group (61%) (adjusted OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.16 to 3.85, p = 0.015). Disease activity did not differ between the two groups at 12 months, probably because many patients in the placebo group started DMARDs early in the study. After 12 months, the arthritis had resolved without the need for DMARDs in 9.9% (11/111) of the patients in the placebo group and in 19.8% (22/111) in the glucocorticoid-treated group (adjusted OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.99, p = 0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment of patients with very early IP with IM methylprednisolone acetate appears to postpone the prescription of DMARDs and prevent one in 10 patients from progressing into RA.
Verstappen
S M M
SM
arc Epidemiology Unit, Stopford Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK. deborah.symmons@manchester.ac.uk
McCoy
M J
MJ
Roberts
C
C
Dale
N E
NE
Hassell
A B
AB
Symmons
D P M
DP
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008875:Middle Aged
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008775:Methylprednisolone