Evidence mapPaperPMID 42336611Full record

Observational studyRMD open2026

Site-specific articular responses to b/tsDMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis: a longitudinal observational study from the Swiss Clinical Quality Management Registry.

Annik Steimer, Andrea Götschi, Jonas Brändli, Kim Lauper, Diego Kyburz, Burkhard Möller, Sabine Adler, Frauke Förger, Diana Dan, Laure Brulhart Bletsas and 7 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in RMD open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Annik SteimerDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland annik.steimer@hotmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-5896-2230
Andrea GötschiSwiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland.
Jonas BrändliSwiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland.
Kim LauperDivision of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4315-9009
Diego KyburzDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Burkhard MöllerDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Berne, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8769-6167
Sabine AdlerDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Berne, Switzerland.
Frauke FörgerDepartment of Rheumatology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Diana DanDepartment of Rheumatology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Laure Brulhart BletsasDivision of Rheumatology, La Chaux-de-Fonds Hospital, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Penelope Timpert-ArgustPatient Research Partner, Canton Aargau, Switzerland.
Michael AndorPrivate Rheumatology Practice, Uster, Switzerland.
Oliver DistlerDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0546-8310
Raphael MicheroliDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8918-7304
Axel FinckhDivision of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
Caroline OspeltDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9151-4650
Adrian CiureaDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7870-7132

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWhether treatment response differs across affected joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. We sought to determine whether responses to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and other biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) vary across individual joints in a large cohort of patients with RA.

methodsPatients with RA from the Swiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases registry with ≥1 swollen joint at treatment initiation of a b/tsDMARD (abatacept, interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor (IL-6Ri), Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi), rituximab and TNFi) were included. Time to resolution of swollen joints was evaluated over a 2-year follow-up using mixed effects models accounting for interval-censored data. The analyses compared the speed of improvement of individual joints within the 28-joint count to that of the wrist. The primary analysis focused on bio-naïve patients initiating TNFi treatment, while secondary analyses included all b/tsDMARD classes, irrespective of treatment line.

resultsA TNFi was initiated in 598 patients with ≥1 swollen joint, while 1942 patients with ≥1 swollen joint started a b/tsDMARD (abatacept: 242, IL-6Ri: 317, JAKi: 333, rituximab: 176, TNFi: 874). Compared with the wrist, all joints demonstrated higher rates of resolution, except for the second and third metacarpophalangeal (MCP2/3) joints and, in some analyses, the knee. This pattern of joint-specific response was consistent across all b/tsDMARDs.

conclusionsThe wrist, MCP2 and MCP3 joints resolve more slowly than other joints following treatment with b/tsDMARDs, indicating that a longer evaluation period of treatment response and/or bridging intra-articular steroid injections may be required when these joints are affected.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidJointsTumor Necrosis Factor InhibitorsAgedFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesRituximabSwitzerlandTreatment OutcomeAntirheumatic AgentsRituximabTumor Necrosis Factor InhibitorsArthritis, RheumatoidBiological TherapyTumor Necrosis Factors

Identifiers

PMID42336611
PMCPMC13319637

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.