OBJECTIVE: To clarify the incidence and background of clinical relapse (escape phenomenon) during low-dose @entity1499 therapy for @entity309 . METHODS: Seventy one @entity1 with @entity309 ( @entity309 ) were analyzed. They were started on therapy with @entity1499 ( @entity1500 ) between April 1, 1991 and May 30, 1995. Among them, 60 @entity1 showed clinical improvement within 6 months after the start of the therapy and were subjected to the analysis for clinical relapse (escape phenomenon). RESULTS: Twelve @entity1 showed an initial improvement followed by a relapse with increased serum CRP and number of @entity158 joints despite the @entity1500 therapy was continued. Two types of the relapses were seen; (1) early, escape (relapse after an initial brief improvement) in 7 @entity1 , and (2) late escape (relapse after a long-term improvement with @entity1500 therapy) in 5 @entity1 . The early escape was seen at 9.0 +/- 0.7 months after the start of therapy while the late escape was seen at 23.3 +/- 4.8 months. @entity1 with both types of escape phenomenon had the longer duration of the disease and more advanced stage. There was no relationship between clinical relapse and age, baseline @entity309 activity, @entity1500 dose, or concurrent use of corticosteroids and other disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The efficacy of @entity1500 for @entity309 was restored by increasing dose of @entity1500 in 11 @entity1 . CONCLUSION: These results suggest that clinical relapse is not rare in @entity309 @entity1 during low-dose @entity1499 therapy, but could be improved by increasing dose.

[Clinical relapse of XXXX (escape phenomenon) during low-dose @entity1499 therapy].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity1500 :: ('CHEBI:44185', 'Chemical') :: ['MTX'] @entity158 :: ('MESH:D010146', 'Disease') :: ['painful'] @entity1499 :: ('MESH:D008727', 'Chemical') :: ['methotrexate'] @entity309 :: ('MESH:D001172', 'Disease') :: ['rheumatoid arthritis', 'RA']
@entity309 :: (MESH:D001172,Disease) :: ['rheumatoid arthritis']
