FRI0675 Obtaining synovial biopsies from the wrist in patients with newly diagnosed untreated and longstanding rheumatoid arthritis followed by intramuscular glucocorticoid and methotrexate initiation is safe and the glucocorticoid treatment significantly reduces disease activity
Authors: SA Just, C Nielsen, EK Hejbøl, HD Schrøder, IMJ Hansen, T Barington, HM Lindegaard
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2017)

<h3>Background</h3> The minimal invasive ultrasound-guided synovial biopsy (USG-SB) method has been shown to be safe and tolerable. The method has accelerated the research field of using synovial biopsies focusing on early diagnosis, disease stratification, biomarker studies and in the future optimal treatment selection for the individual patient. Here synovial biopsies obtained from patients with early arthritis before therapy initiation are essential. A major issue in newly diagnosed RA patients but also in RA patients with longstanding active RA, is to combine an effective fast working treatment with safely obtaining synovial tissue without delaying treatment initiation. In the EULAR early arthritis recommendations, prompt treatment initiation is recommended by combining glucocorticoid bridge therapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD). It is therefore essential that accepting synovial biopsy, does not delay start of fast remission-inducing treatment. Especially if synovial biopsies by the USG-SB method in the future shall be used systematically for detailed disease stratification and personalized treatment decisions. <h3>Objectives</h3> Safety of using intramuscular glucocorticoid injection (IGI) immediately after the USG-SB procedure in patients with newly diagnosed untreated RA or longstanding active RA, and the effect of IGI on disease activity after 4 weeks. <h3>Methods</h3> Wrist synovial biopsies were taken) at inclusion and after 6 months from 22 patients with newly diagnosed, untreated RA and 15 with longstanding RA (&gt;5 years). After biopsies patients were offered an IGI of 2 ml of methylprednisolone acetate (Depo Medrol) 40mg/ml. Early RA patients were also started on methotrexate. Disease activity scores in 28 joints (DAS28) were recorded at day of biopsy and again after 4 weeks. Safety data were obtained after 5 days (telephone), 2 weeks (questionnaire) and at first clinical evaluation (4 weeks) after biopsy. Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) with pain, swelling and stiffness of biopsied joint were obtained at day of biopsy and after two weeks. <h3>Results</h3> At present time, all patients have undergone first biopsy and 18/37 second biopsy. At the EULAR congress complete data will be presented. 68% of all patients accepted IGI after first biopsy currently 39% after second procedure. Patients accepting IGI after first biopsy did not have higher DAS-28 (early RA group (p=0.15), longstanding RA (p=0.06)). Time to first follow-up was not significantly different for patients accepting IGI (early RA group (p=0.17), longstanding RA (p=0.05)). Two weeks after biopsy, PRO was not significantly different when comparing IGI vs non-IGI treated. For all patients, DAS-28 was significantly reduced in the group receiving IGI at first clinical evaluation after synovial biopsy (p=0.004, without IGI ΔDAS28: -0.5, with IGI ΔDAS28: -1.7). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Start of treatment with IGI combined with DMARD after obtaining synovial biopsies by the USG-SB procedure from patients with early untreated RA and longstanding RA is safe, and reduces disease activity more than without IGI. <h3>Disclosure of Interest</h3> None declared