title: Anakinra in adult-onset Still's disease: long-term treatment in patients resistant to conventional therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anakinra is effective in adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) in the short term, but little is known regarding its efficacy over the long term. Our objective was to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of anakinra in AOSD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide survey was conducted between 2009 and 2010 to identify AOSD patients treated with anakinra. Collected data consisted of disease characteristics at diagnosis and at medication onset; anakinra efficacy, safety, and dose adaptation; and reasons for discontinuation, if applicable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 28 AOSD patients, with a mean age of 40.3 years and a mean disease duration at the start of anakinra of 9.3 years. All patients had previously failed to respond to steroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. All patients responded to anakinra, with a rapid and sustained decrease in steroid doses. At the last followup (mean 23 months), 16 patients were still being treated with anakinra: 4 had a partial response and 12 were in complete remission. Twelve patients had discontinued anakinra: 2 due to an insufficient response, 4 due to an AOSD flare after a period of complete remission, 2 due to side effects, and 1 due to a desire for pregnancy. In 3 patients, the drug discontinuation was possible because they achieved complete remission. Six additional patients experienced anakinra dose tapering, with sustained remission in 2 and relapse in the others. Anakinra was well tolerated and adverse events were rated as mild.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anakinra was consistently efficacious in AOSD and displayed good therapeutic maintenance. Anakinra dose tapering or discontinuation was associated with relapse in half of the patients.
authors.affiliation: University Paris 6 - Pierre et Marie Curie, School of Medicine, and AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France. cecilia.giampietro@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giampietro
authors.forename: Meriem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ridene
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lequerre
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Costedoat Chalumeau
authors.forename: Zahir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Amoura
authors.forename: Jérémie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sellam
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sibilia
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fautrel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016706:Still's Disease, Adult-Onset / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein