title: Quality of Life and Clinical Response to On-Demand Maintenance Doses of Infliximab in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to study the effect of modified maintenance doses (MDs) of infliximab on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) over a period of 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of AS patients (n = 25) who received a normal induction dose but modified MDs as required were retrospectively analyzed. After induction dose and the first MD, patients were followed up every month and were treated with infliximab whenever Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score was 4 or greater. The study end points were the percentage of responders defined as reduction of 40% or greater in BASDAI score and improvement in QoL defined by mean change in SF-36 Physical Component Summary score, SF-36 Mental Component Summary score, and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) values at week 6 and after the last MD (ie, at the end of 3 years) compared with baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the patients were males (n = 20), and the mean age of the analysis population was 40.6 ± 10.79 years. At the end of 6 weeks and after the last MD, BASDAI 40 scores were achieved in 100% and 92% of the patients, respectively. From baseline, the mean change in BASDAI score at the end of 6 weeks and after the last MD is -3.56 and -3.40, respectively. The overall mean change in scores (BASDAI, SF-36 Physical and Mental Component Summary, and ASQoL) versus baseline, at 6 weeks, and after the last MD was statistically significant (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the study suggest that initial induction and an on-demand MD regimen of infliximab based on BASDAI were associated with significant improvement in disease activity and QoL.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of *Medicine & Rheumatology and †Neurology and Rheumatology, B. R. Singh Hospital & Centre for Medical Education & Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sarbani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: Jayanti
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Bhaskar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D060046:Maintenance Chemotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000069285:Infliximab