Introduction:

The use of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitors is increasing in patients with spondyloarthritis. Early identification of those that would require them, or the ability to predict their use, could lead to a more effective and timely treatment by rationalizing their use.

Objective:

To determine factors that better explain the indication of TNFi in the study population.

Material and methods:

The association between anti-TNFα use and categorical demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological and treatment variables was explored using Pearson's Chi2 or Fisher's exact test. The association with the quantitative variables was evaluated using Student's t test or Mann Whitney U test, depending on their distribution. Those variables with P < 0.25 were entered into univariate models of explanatory logistic regression to construct crude ORs, and those with P < 0.25 were included in the multivariate model to construct adjusted ORs.

Results and discussion:

The study population includes 181 patients. In the univariate model: reactive arthritis, urethritis, and peripheral involvement were protective factors for the use of TNFi. Axial spondyloarthritis, inflammatory lumbalgia, alternating gluteal pain, morning stiffness, sacroiliitis demonstrated by any method, treatment with COX-2 inhibitors, evolution time of three years or more, and BASDAI and BASFI scores were associated with the use of TNFi. Multivariate model: reactive arthritis (P = 0.036), inflammatory back pain (P = 0.026), sacroiliitis (P = 0.045), use of coxibs (P = 0.001) and the maximum score of BASDAI (P = 0.022, P = 0.006) were independently associated with the use of TNFi. The use of coxibs was associated with the indication of using TNFi in both patients with axial spondyloarthritis (P = 0.001) and peripheral (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The onset of the disease in the form of reactive arthritis behaved as a protective factor for the subsequent need to use TNFi, while presenting with inflammatory back pain, sacroiliitis, demonstrated by any method, treatment with coxibs, and the maximum score of BASDAI greater than 4 associated with the use of these medications.

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