Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar
ABSTRACT Background Biologic and targeted‐synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), are pivotal in the management of autoimmune‐inflammatory disorders, acting by suppressing pathological immune activation. Because of associated immune dysfunction, opportunistic or serious infecti...
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Wiley
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Immunity, Inflammation and Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.70195 |
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| author | Sreethish Sasi Hamad Abdel Hadi Masautso Chaponda Reem El Ajez Mohamed Ataelmanan Sief Khasawneh Hind Saqallah Maisa Ali Nabeel Abdulla Javed Iqbal Ali S. Omrani Muna Al Maslamani Abdullatif Al‐Khal |
| author_facet | Sreethish Sasi Hamad Abdel Hadi Masautso Chaponda Reem El Ajez Mohamed Ataelmanan Sief Khasawneh Hind Saqallah Maisa Ali Nabeel Abdulla Javed Iqbal Ali S. Omrani Muna Al Maslamani Abdullatif Al‐Khal |
| author_sort | Sreethish Sasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Background Biologic and targeted‐synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), are pivotal in the management of autoimmune‐inflammatory disorders, acting by suppressing pathological immune activation. Because of associated immune dysfunction, opportunistic or serious infections (SIs), and latent disease reactivation is frequently reported. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes of SIs in patients treated with b/tsDMARDs in Qatar. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation, including all the patients treated with one of 10 b/tsDMARDs, between January 2017 and July 2021. Besides descriptive statistics, the Chi‐square test and Kaplan–Meyer survival analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Out of 1092 patients, 86 (7.9%) had SIs, with an incidence rate of 39.4 per 1000 patient years. Mean duration of onset was 10.8 months post‐initiation of therapy. Younger age groups (18–52 years) were predominantly affected. A significant association was observed between the primary diagnosis (rheumatological followed by gastrointestinal, neurological, and dermatological disorders) and the occurrence of SIs (χ² = 9.512, p < 0.050). Adalimumab and infliximab had a higher risk of SIs compared to other b/tsDMARDs. There was no significant difference between TNF‐inhibitors and others. Ocrelizumab was significantly associated with incidence of COVID‐19 SIs (χ² = 16.84, p = 0.0000408), and etanercept with Staphylococcus aureus SIs (χ² = 17.51, p = 0.0000285). Predominant infection sites were skin–soft tissue and respiratory tract. Most of the SIs were secondary to either bacteria (43%) or viruses (17.4%). The mean duration of hospitalization was 9 days, and 7% of patients required critical care, with no recorded 90‐day mortality. Conclusions Patients with inflammatory conditions managed with b/tsDMARDs are at significant risk of SIs, which necessitate appropriate patient selection weighing benefits and risks, as well as careful long‐term management that include patient education and relevant preventive therapy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-adeebf9d01ff4e148c5b336e949d6565 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-4527 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Immunity, Inflammation and Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-adeebf9d01ff4e148c5b336e949d65652025-08-20T03:53:42ZengWileyImmunity, Inflammation and Disease2050-45272025-04-01134n/an/a10.1002/iid3.70195Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in QatarSreethish Sasi0Hamad Abdel Hadi1Masautso Chaponda2Reem El Ajez3Mohamed Ataelmanan4Sief Khasawneh5Hind Saqallah6Maisa Ali7Nabeel Abdulla8Javed Iqbal9Ali S. Omrani10Muna Al Maslamani11Abdullatif Al‐Khal12Department of Medicine Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Medicine Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division, Al‐Wakra Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Pharmacy Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Internal Medicine Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Internal Medicine Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Internal Medicine Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Medicine Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Internal Medicine Rheumatology Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Nursing Communicable Diseases Center, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Medicine Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Medicine Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarDepartment of Medicine Communicable Diseases Center, Infectious Diseases Division, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha QatarABSTRACT Background Biologic and targeted‐synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), are pivotal in the management of autoimmune‐inflammatory disorders, acting by suppressing pathological immune activation. Because of associated immune dysfunction, opportunistic or serious infections (SIs), and latent disease reactivation is frequently reported. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes of SIs in patients treated with b/tsDMARDs in Qatar. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation, including all the patients treated with one of 10 b/tsDMARDs, between January 2017 and July 2021. Besides descriptive statistics, the Chi‐square test and Kaplan–Meyer survival analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Out of 1092 patients, 86 (7.9%) had SIs, with an incidence rate of 39.4 per 1000 patient years. Mean duration of onset was 10.8 months post‐initiation of therapy. Younger age groups (18–52 years) were predominantly affected. A significant association was observed between the primary diagnosis (rheumatological followed by gastrointestinal, neurological, and dermatological disorders) and the occurrence of SIs (χ² = 9.512, p < 0.050). Adalimumab and infliximab had a higher risk of SIs compared to other b/tsDMARDs. There was no significant difference between TNF‐inhibitors and others. Ocrelizumab was significantly associated with incidence of COVID‐19 SIs (χ² = 16.84, p = 0.0000408), and etanercept with Staphylococcus aureus SIs (χ² = 17.51, p = 0.0000285). Predominant infection sites were skin–soft tissue and respiratory tract. Most of the SIs were secondary to either bacteria (43%) or viruses (17.4%). The mean duration of hospitalization was 9 days, and 7% of patients required critical care, with no recorded 90‐day mortality. Conclusions Patients with inflammatory conditions managed with b/tsDMARDs are at significant risk of SIs, which necessitate appropriate patient selection weighing benefits and risks, as well as careful long‐term management that include patient education and relevant preventive therapy.https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.70195biologicDMARDimmunocompromisedTNF‐alpha inhibitortofacitinib |
| spellingShingle | Sreethish Sasi Hamad Abdel Hadi Masautso Chaponda Reem El Ajez Mohamed Ataelmanan Sief Khasawneh Hind Saqallah Maisa Ali Nabeel Abdulla Javed Iqbal Ali S. Omrani Muna Al Maslamani Abdullatif Al‐Khal Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar Immunity, Inflammation and Disease biologic DMARD immunocompromised TNF‐alpha inhibitor tofacitinib |
| title | Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar |
| title_full | Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar |
| title_fullStr | Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar |
| title_short | Risk of Serious Infections in Patients Treated With Biologic or Targeted‐synthetic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Qatar |
| title_sort | risk of serious infections in patients treated with biologic or targeted synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs in qatar |
| topic | biologic DMARD immunocompromised TNF‐alpha inhibitor tofacitinib |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.70195 |
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