title: Joint tenderness and swelling in biologic-treated inflammatory arthritis patients - a tricky trade off?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the pattern of joint responses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis treated with TNF inhibitor (TNFi) therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 182 PsA/Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients attending the rheumatology unit of a tertiary referral centre in Ireland were recruited and prospectively followed up by the attendant rheumatologists. Clinical progress of the patients was noted at baseline and 6 months after starting TNFi therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 114 RA and 68 PsA patients were assessed; 20% of the patients had one of either tender joints or swollen joints after 6 months of therapy. Rheumatoid arthritis patients had a significantly higher proportion of non-tender swollen joints compared with PsA patients, whereas PsA patients had a higher proportion of tender non-swollen joints (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Residual joint swelling was found more commonly in RA patients than in PsA patients following TNFi therapy, whereas residual tender joints occurred more frequently in PsA; this may reflect enthesiopathy or periostitis.
authors.affiliation: Bone and Joint Unit, Department of Rheumatology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. lenharty@yahoo.com
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Harty
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fearon
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Veale
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000009:adverse effects; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab; D000068800:Etanercept