title: The effect of golimumab on haemoglobin levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of golimumab on haemoglobin levels in patients with RA, PsA or AS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis was performed on integrated data from five randomized controlled studies: three RA, one PsA and one AS (2303 patients total). Golimumab 50 or 100 mg was injected s.c. every 4 weeks with or without MTX. Control groups received placebo injections plus MTX or background therapy. Patients with haemoglobin levels below the age- and sex-specific normal ranges were considered to have anaemia. Ferritin levels were used to distinguish anaemia of mixed aetiology (≥ 15 and <60 ng/ml) and anaemia of inflammation (≥ 60 ng/ml). Changes from baseline to weeks 14 and 24 in haemoglobin level were compared between treatment groups using an analysis of variance on the van der Waerden normal scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 21% of RA patients, 9% of PsA patients and 15% of AS patients had anaemia. Of these, 24%, 57% and 25%, respectively, had anaemia of inflammation. The median increase from baseline to week 14 in the haemoglobin level of anaemic patients was 0.3 g/dl in the control group and 0.9 g/dl in the golimumab group (P < 0.001). Haemoglobin levels improved within the subgroups of patients with anaemia of mixed aetiology (control, 0.4 g/dl vs golimumab, 0.7 g/dl) (P = 0.305) and with anaemia of inflammation (0.2 vs 1.4 g/dl, respectively) (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the control group, patients receiving golimumab treatment had significantly improved haemoglobin levels, particularly among patients with anaemia of inflammation.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Medical School, Rheumatology Division, 1000 Veteran Avenue, Rehab Center rm 32-59, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1670, USA. defurst@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Furst
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Mary Chester
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wasko
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keystone
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kavanaugh
authors.forename: Atul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deodhar
authors.forename: Frederick T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Jeanette H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Magnus
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Mahboob U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Mittie K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Doyle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001168:Arthritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; C529000:golimumab
keywords: anaemia; ankylosing spondylitis; anti-TNF-α agent; golimumab; psoriatic arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis