Anakinra is a safe and well-tolerated alternative treatment for acute calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal arthritis patients who have become non-responsive to the conventional treatment approaches.
According to recent research carried out by the doctors of
Bichat Hospital Paris Diderot University France, Anakinra, a recombinant,
nonglycosylated human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist was significantly
helpful in treating acute calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal arthritis among
patients who were unable to respond conventional therapies. This disease
involves the introduction of crystals in the joints and neighbouring tissues,
especially among the older population. Traditional treatment approaches; NSAIDs
or Colchicine are contraindicated in CPP arthritis.
So, this study was aimed to assess the safety and efficacy
of Anakinra among the CPP arthritis as the drug already known for its action on
pseudogout which makes it a suitable option for this analysis. The thirty-three
patients were included in the study and received Anakinra from the period 2011
to 2017. The data regarding pain score on a visual analog scale (VAS), tender joint count (TJC), C-reactive protein
(CRP) level and swollen joint count (SJC) was collected before and four days
following the first Anakinra injection. Physician defined the criteria of good
response as per the evaluation.
A total of 27 patients showed a good response. Patients
exhibited reduced SJC (3.9 ± 2.7 to 0.9 ± 1.0), CRP level (116.1 ± 71.6 to
26.0 ± 23.1), VAS (64.8 ± 26.5 to 21.2 ± 19.7) and TJC (5.8 ± 5.0 to 1.0 ± 1.0)
scores at 4th day following the treatment (p <0.0001, < 0.0001,
< 0.0001 and < 0.0001, respectively). No skin complication had occurred.
The drug was well-tolerated. However, only one patient showed pneumonitis,
controlled using oral antibacterial agents. These findings led to the positive
impact of Anakinra on acute CPP crystal arthritis.
Clinical Rheumatology
Efficacy and tolerance of Anakinra in acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis: a retrospective study of 33 cases.
Marion Thomas et al.
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