The impact of comorbidities on interleukin-17 inhibitor therapy in psoriatic arthritis: a Danish population-based cohort study

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the influence of comorbidities on treatment response, disease activity and persistence with first-line IL-17 inhibitor (IL-17i) treatment in patients with PsA. Methods Patients were divided into three groups depending on the presence and/or severity of comorbidities using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Groups were CCI 0: no comorbidities, CCI 1: one comorbidity and CCI ≥2: two or more comorbidities or one or more severe comorbidities. Outcomes in the groups were compared for treatment persistence, treatment response and disease activity. Results A higher CCI score was associated to an elevation in baseline CRP, swollen joint count and frequency of depression and/or anxiety. The median drug persistence in the groups were CCI 0: 1.8 years, CCI 1: 1.9 years and CCI ≥2: 1.5 years, but was not statistically significant to the CCI score. There were no significant differences in clinical response rates between the groups. Conclusion The presence of comorbidities was associated with increased baseline disease activity and frequency of depression and/or anxiety, but was not associated with shorter treatment persistence or lower clinical response rates in a cohort of 155 Danish patients with PsA treated with first-line IL-17i.