Internal Medicine: Open Access
Open Access

Kazunobu Ichikawa

Publications

• Research Article
  Is Methotrexate (MTX) Necessary in Combination Therapy with Tocilizumab and MTX for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Remission? Cohort Study Carried by the Michinoku Tocilizumab Study Group
  Author(s): Masayuki Miyata, Yasuhiko Hirabayashi, Yasuhiko Munakata, Yukitomo Urata, Koichi Saito, Hiroshi Okuno, Masaki Yoshida, Takao Koderai, Ryu Watanabei, Seiya Miyamoto, Tomonori Ishii, Shigeshi Nakazawa, Hiromitsu Takemori, Takanobu Ando, Takashi Kanno, Masataka Komagamine, Ichiro Kato, Yuichi Takahashi, Atsushi Komatsuda, Kojiro Endo, Chihiro Murai, Yuy Masayuki Miyata, Yasuhiko Hirabayashi, Yasuhiko Munakata, Yukitomo Urata, Koichi Saito, Hiroshi Okuno, Masaki Yoshida, Takao Koderai, Ryu Watanabei, Seiya Miyamoto, Tomonori Ishii, Shigeshi Nakazawa, Hiromitsu Takemori, Takanobu Ando, Takashi Kanno, Masataka Komagamine, Ichiro Kato, Yuichi Takahashi, Atsushi Komatsuda, Kojiro Endo, Chihiro Murai, Yuy
  
  Objectives: To determine the necessity of methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) achieving clinical remission treated by tocilizumab (TCZ) and MTX (TCZ+MTX). Methods: A 3 year, multicenter, observational cohort study was performed. RA patients were treated by TCZ with or without MTX depending on the attending doctor’s decision. Of the patients treated with TCZ+MTX, the patients who discontinued MTX after achieving clinical remission (discontinued group: DISC) were compared with those who maintained the same dose of MTX after achieving clinical remission (maintained group: MAIN). Results: The DISC and MAIN consisted of 33 patients and 37 patients, respectively. The mean DAS28-ESR was significantly lower in the DISC than in the MAIN at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months (3 months: 1.8 &plusm.. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2165-8048.1000240

  Abstract PDF

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