Efficacy of etanercept in rheumatoid arthritis patients and its effects on interleukin-6 and serum tumor necrosis factor ?

Purpose: To study the effects of etanercept (ETA) on the clinical manifestations and serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical files of 138 active RA patients admitted to Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China for rheumatic diseases from January 2016 to February 2019. Out of the total subjects, 58 patients were administered conventional methotrexate (MTX) as routine treatment (control group), while the remaining 80 patients (classified as study group) received subcutaneous injection of etanercept (ETA). Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, and TNF-alpha and IL-6 serum concentrations of the two groups before and after treatment were assessed. Results: Pre-treatment HAQ score was comparable in both groups (p > 0.05). However, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks post-treatment, HAQ scores decreased in the two groups. The mean score was significantly lower in study group than in control group (p < 0.001). Pre-treatment serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in both groups were comparable. However, after treating for 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks, serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha decreased significantly, with lower values in the study group than in control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: ETA has a higher efficacy and safety than MTX for the treatment of joint inflammation and and also achieved greater improvement of joint function. However, further clinical trials are recommended prior to wider application in clinical practice.