Short-term effectiveness of guselkumab in psoriatic arthritis patients and suggestive features of axial involvement: results from a real-life multicentre cohort
Piero Ruscitti, Ilenia Pantano, Giulia Cataldi, Martina Gentile, Francesco Arrigoni, Luca Riccio, Sabrina Marrone, Daniele Mauro, Francesco Ursini, Maria Esposito, Antonio Barile, Maria Concetta Fargnoli, Roberto Giacomelli, Francesco Ciccia, Paola Cipriani- Pharmacology (medical)
- Rheumatology
Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the short-term effectiveness of guselkumab in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and suggestive features of axial involvement in a prospective “real-life” multicentre cohort.
Methods
Between June 2022 and June 2023, PsA patients with axial involvement were evaluated if treated at least for 4 months with guselkumab. The effectiveness was evaluated by BASDAI, ASDAS, DAPSA, and achievement of BASDAI ≤ 4, also exploiting predictive factors. In a group of patients, MRI findings on sacroiliac joints were assessed before and after guselkumab administration.
Results
Sixty-seven patients with PsA and suggestive features of axial involvement (age 53.4 ± 11.2 years, male sex 26.9%) were treated with guselkumab. After 4 months, a significant reduction of BASDAI, ASDAS, and DAPSA was observed. A ΔBASDAI of -2.11 ± 0.43 was estimated assessing the mean difference values before and after guselkumab administration and 52.2% of patients reached a BASDAI ≤ 4. In 27 patients, MRI findings on sacroiliac joints were assessed before and after guselkumab administration. A reduction of 0.80 or larger of the sacroiliac joint lesion score was observed in the majority of patients (70.3%) based on MRI improvements, paralleling with the clinical response.
No life-threatening side effects were recorded; 17.9% of patients reported minor adverse events mainly injection site reactions.
Conclusions
The short-term effectiveness of guselkumab in patients with PsA and suggestive features of axial involvement was shown. Although further studies are needed, our multicentre “real-life” study may suggest the clinical usability of guselkumab in this context.