Dynamics of serum levels of TNF-α in a longitudinal follow-up study in 98 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with anti-TNF-α biological drugs

Morozova, Nataša (author), Zajc Avramovič, Mojca (author), Markelj, Gašper (author), Toplak, Nataša (author), Avčin, Tadej (author)

Objective: To determine the dynamics of serum levels of TNF-α in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated with anti-TNF-α biological drugs and investigate their association with the disease activity. Methods: We conducted a single-centre, observational cohort study in 98 patients with JIA (30 boys, 68 girls, mean age 11.3 years) treated with anti-TNF-α biological drugs. Clinical examinations and laboratory assessments of serum levels of TNF-α were performed before starting therapy with biological drug and at 6-month intervals afterwards up to 2.5 years. Results: The analysis of serum levels of TNF-α in relation to the disease activity states showed the highest mean serum levels of TNF-α in patients on etanercept who had low disease activity states and in patients on adalimumab who had inactive disease. The correlation analysis in patients with JIA treated with etanercept or adalimumab showed a weak negative correlation between the serum levels of TNF-α and JADAS10 scores (p = 0.007), (r = – 0.177). Conclusion: The assessment of serum levels of TNF-α in children with JIA during treatment with etanercept or adalimumab is not a reliable biomarker of disease activity or immunological remission. Longitudinal measurement of TNF-α has no added clinical value in patients with JIA treated with anti-TNF-α biological drugs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: adalimumab, cytokines, etanercept, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, tumour necrosis factor-alpha
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 2287-2293
• Numbering: Vol. 43, iss. 7
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-160117
• UDC: 61
• ISSN on article: 0770-3198
• DOI: 10.1007/s10067-024-07012-4
• COBISS.SI-ID: 203660291
• Publication date in RUL: 21.08.2024

MOROZOVA, Nataša, ZAJC AVRAMOVIČ, Mojca, MARKELJ, Gašper, TOPLAK, Nataša and AVČIN, Tadej, 2024, Dynamics of serum levels of TNF-α in a longitudinal follow-up study in 98 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with anti-TNF-α biological drugs. Clinical rheumatology [online]. 2024. Vol. 43, no. 7, p. 2287–2293. [Accessed 11 April 2025]. DOI 10.1007/s10067-024-07012-4. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=160117

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Clinical rheumatology
• Shortened title: Clin. rheumatol.
• Publisher: Springer Nature, International League of Associations for Rheumatology
• ISSN: 0770-3198
• COBISS.SI-ID: 6910681

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: J3-3061
• Name: Klinične, imunološke in genetske značilnosti večorganskega vnetnega sindroma povezanega s COVID-19 pri otrocih in mladostnikih

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: University Medical Centre Ljubljana
• Project number: 20190050