PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Safi, Mohammad-Ayman A.
AU  - Fathaldin, Omar A.
TI  - Pattern of drugs use and association with anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibody in rheumatoid arthritis
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2015.3.10208
DP  - 2015 Mar 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 316--323
VI  - 36
IP  - 3
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/36/3/316.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/36/3/316.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2015 Mar 01; 36
AB  - Objectives: To demonstrate the pattern of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) use in Saudi and non-Saudi rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and to evaluate the association of DMARDs use with anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) positivity and other factors.Methods: Retrospectively, for a period of 7 years (2007-2014), we studied 205 RA patients, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All patients used DMARDs. Pattern of use for all 6 DMARDs was almost the same among Saudis and non-Saudis with no significant difference (p&amp;gt;0.05) for each DMARD; MTX was the most commonly used DMARD (71-76%).Results: There was no association between anti-MCV positivity and different DMARDs use. Methotrexate was used 76 times as combination, scoring the highest in this respect. There was a significant correlation (p&amp;lt;0.05) between Plaquenil with Methotrexate and with Sulfasalazine; Leflunomide with anti-TNF and with Prednisolone; age with Methotrexate and with Plaquenil; anti-MCV positivity with Prednisolone. Saudi/non-Saudi status showed no correlation with all factors or drugs. There was no significant association between DMARDs and comorbidity.Conclusion: Similar to worldwide results, MTX was the most commonly used DMARD; with the addition of anti-TNF to increase the effect, and folic acid to minimize the side effects. In this cohort, the pattern of use for all DMARDs was similar among Saudis and non-Saudis; treatment depended neither on anti-MCV positivity nor on the presence of comorbid conditions. A study of the association of DMARDs with disease activity is recommended.