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Reconstitution of CD4+CD25highCD127low/-Tcell

NCT03736044 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 48

Last updated 2018-11-08

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disabling inflammatory disease, of autoimmune origin characterized by chronic synovial inflammation resulting in joint damage. Treg cell function in patients with active RA is assumed to be impaired, a trend that seems to be reversed by TNFalpha antagonist therapy. Remission is the current treatment goal in RA.

An increasing number of patients in clinical trials achieve this goal raising the question whether patients who have been in remission for a prolonged period (sustained remission) still need medication indefinitely. From a decade TNF-blocker therapy have represented a new treatment option for RA patients non responders to conventional DMARDs and some evidence are now available showing that sustainable remission can be maintained achieved after withdrawal of TNF blocker. Objectives: to verify whether in RA patients in prolonged clinical and instrumental remission the percentages of CD4+CD25highCD127low/- T cells could represent a reliable marker of immunological remission and, even more relevant, if the pharmacological reconstitution of this "immune-modulator" Tcell population could contribute to better identify patients with a low risk of relapse after cessation of TNF-blocker therapy. Methods: in RA patients, who fulfilled the 1987 ACR revised criteria, with disease duration ! 5 years, clinical \[Disease Activity Score on 28 joints-DAS28 0.56 ×√(TJC28) + 0.28×√(SJC28) + 0.70×ln(ESR) + 0.014×GH.TJC= Tender Joints Count (from 0 to 28); SJC= Swollen Joints Count (from 0 to 28) ESR=Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate GH= patient's assessment of general health (VAS range from 0 to 100 mm); disease's flare was considered if: DAS44 \>=2.4/DAS28 \>=3.2.)\], instrumental (joint ultrasonography: sites to be explored wrists are II-III metacarpophalangeal joint bilaterally using Power Doppler signal (grading 0-3); any other joint will be studied if symptomatic) and immunological (circulating CD4+CD25highCD127low/-Tcells and inflammatory cytokines levels) examination will be performed in order to asses, at different levels, disease activity status. Expected results: to identify in RA patients treated with anti-TNF an "exit-strategy" from these drugs based on clinical, imaging and immunologic features indicative of a sustained remission and to verify whether such conditions are able to predict a low incidence of relapse.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

TNF-blockers suspension in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

in patients treated with anti-TNF the intervention consisted in anti-TNF drug withdrawal, after a preliminary careful examination of remission status; a 18 months (at least) follow up was performed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Hospital of Ferrara

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-11-25
Primary Completion
2017-03-13
Completion
2017-03-13

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03736044 on ClinicalTrials.gov