PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Chamaida Plasencia AU - Eva L. Kneepkens AU - Gertjan Wolbink AU - Charlotte L.M. Krieckaert AU - Samina Turk AU - Victoria Navarro-Compán AU - Merel L’Ami AU - Mike T. Nurmohamed AU - Irene van der Horst-Bruinsma AU - Teresa Jurado AU - Cristina Diego AU - Gema Bonilla AU - Alejandro Villalba AU - Diana Peiteado AU - Laura Nuño AU - Desiree van der Kleij AU - Theo Rispens AU - Emilio Martín-Mola AU - Alejandro Balsa AU - Dora Pascual-Salcedo TI - Comparing Tapering Strategy to Standard Dosing Regimen of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Patients with Spondyloarthritis in Low Disease Activity AID - 10.3899/jrheum.141128 DP - 2015 Jul 15 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - jrheum.141128 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2015/07/10/jrheum.141128.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2015/07/10/jrheum.141128.full AB - Objective To compare clinical outcomes, incidence of flares, and administered drug reduction between patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) under TNF inhibitor (TNFi) tapering strategy with patients receiving a standard regimen. Methods In this retrospective study, 74 patients with SpA from Spain on tapering strategy (tapering group; TG) were compared with 43 patients from the Netherlands receiving a standard regimen (control group; CG). The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was measured at visit 0 (prior to starting the TNFi), visit 1 (prior to starting tapering strategy in TG and at least 6 months with BASDAI < 4 after starting the TNFi in the TG and CG), visit 2 (6 mos after visit 1), visit 3 (1 year after visit 1), and visit 4 (the last visit available after visit 1). Results An overall reduction of the administered drug was seen at visit 4 in the TG [dose reduction of 22% for infliximab (IFX) and an interval elongation of 28.7% for IFX, 45.2% for adalimumab, and 51.5% for etanercept] without significant differences in the BASDAI between the groups at visit 4 (2.15 ± 1.55 in TG vs 2.11 ± 1.31 in CG, p = 0.883). The number of patients with flares was similar in both groups [22/74 (30%) in the TG vs 8/43 (19%) in the CG, p = 0.184]. Conclusion The tapering strategy in SpA results in an important reduction of the drug administered, and the disease control remains similar to that of the patients with SpA receiving the standard regimen.