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Leflunomide in Takayasu arteritis - A long term observational study.
Alexandre Wagner Silva de Souza1, Renan de Almeida Agustinelli1, Hemerli de Cinque Almeida1
1Rheumatology Division, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Revista Brasileira De Reumatologia
|August 2, 2016
Summary
Leflunomide therapy provided sustained remission for about half of Takayasu arteritis patients over a mean of 12 months. This treatment was generally well-tolerated, showing long-term efficacy in managing this rare autoimmune disease.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare, chronic inflammatory disease affecting large arteries.
- Evaluating long-term treatment outcomes is crucial for managing TA.
- Leflunomide is an immunosuppressive drug with potential therapeutic benefits in TA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the extended efficacy and safety of leflunomide in Takayasu arteritis patients.
- To analyze long-term outcomes of leflunomide therapy initiated in a previous short-term study.
- To identify factors influencing treatment success or failure in TA patients receiving leflunomide.
Main Methods:
- An open-label, long-term longitudinal study design.
- Inclusion of Takayasu arteritis patients from a prior short-term leflunomide efficacy study.
- Disease activity assessment using Kerr's criteria and the Indian Takayasu Activity Score 2010 (ITAS2010).
Main Results:
- Mean follow-up duration was 43.0±7.6 months.
- 5 (41.6%) patients continued leflunomide, while 7 (58.3%) discontinued due to relapse (6) or toxicity (1).
- No significant baseline differences were observed between patients who continued or discontinued leflunomide.
Conclusions:
- Leflunomide achieved sustained remission in approximately 50% of Takayasu arteritis patients at a mean of 12 months.
- The drug was generally well-tolerated in the studied TA patient cohort.
- Long-term leflunomide therapy demonstrates potential for sustained disease control in a subset of TA patients.
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