title: Effect of additional administration of tacrolimus in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of additional administration of tacrolimus to rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with biologics, in whom the effect of biologics is unsatisfactory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tacrolimus was administered if the effect of biologics was unsatisfactory for 24 weeks at least in terms of laboratory data or DAS28 level: ESR, CRP level and DAS28 level were not below 15 mm/h, 0.2 mg/dl or 2.6, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tacrolimus administered in addition to biologics was significantly effective for suppressing the activity of rheumatoid arthritis in our study. The significant effect of tacrolimus appeared at the 4th week. The effect of tacrolimus achieved quite significant level at the 54th week (p< 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tacrolimus may be a promising candidate to suppress the disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis refractory to the conventional treatment with biologics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal medicine, Fukushima Red Cross Hospital, Fukushima-city, Japan. metm@nifty.com
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Shuzo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D016559:Tacrolimus; D008727:Methotrexate