title: Clinical efficacy of abatacept in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment retention and efficacy of abatacept, the first member of a new class of biologic agents, in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients during clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective multicenter study was conducted with patients who underwent abatacept therapy for 24 weeks (n = 143).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients at baseline had a mean age of 63.5 years, a mean disease duration of 11.3 years, and a mean disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) of 4.5. Overall retention of abatacept treatment was 83.2 % at 24 weeks, when 46.2 % of patients achieved DAS28-defined low disease activity (LDA; DAS28 <3.2) and 26.6 % achieved DAS28-defined remission (DAS28 <2.6). LDA was achieved in a significantly higher proportion of patients without prior biologics therapy compared to those with prior biologics (60.9 vs. 34.2 %, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between patients with or without concomitant methotrexate (MTX) therapy (45.2 vs. 47.5 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abatacept therapy appears to be highly effective and well tolerated during clinical treatment of RA. Abatacept was particularly effective in patients with no history of biologics use, and did not appear to be dependent on concomitant MTX therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rheumatology, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan, nobunori@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Nobunori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terabe
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Daihei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujibayashi
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yabe
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oguchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukaya
authors.forename: Hisato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Daizo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funahashi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanabayashi
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirabara
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
mesh_terms: D000069594:Abatacept; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D044466:Asian People; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D000069594:Abatacept; D008727:Methotrexate