Table 4.
Details of the studies investigating the potential predictors of relapses
| Author, year | Patients (N) | Type of study | Recruitment period | Classification criteria | Relapse criteria | Relapse rate | Potential predictors of relapses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee JH, 2013 [33] | 39 | R | na | Bird's | C, L | 15 (38%) | Initial CRP > 2.5 mg/dl (OR 6.3) and the use of hydroxychloroquine (OR 6.798). Female gender (OR 10.683, p = 0.052). MTX and other DMARDs did not associated with occurrence of relapse |
| Macchioni P, 2009 [34] | 57 | P | na | na | C, L, T | 22 (39%) | Positive PD signal at diagnosis (63.6 vs 15.4%) |
| de la Torre ML, 2020 [36] | 86 | P | 2017 | C.L |
40 (47%) 15 (17%) |
MTX in PMR patients who already had a relapse reduced the number of future relapses and decreased the time to achieve remission | |
| Fukui S, 2016 [37] | 115 | P | 2004–2013 | ACR/EULAR | C, L, T | 29 (23%) | Female gender (OR 2.73) and creatinine > 50 μmol/L (OR, 2.48) associated with occurrence of relapses. No association was reported between occurrence of relapse and age, APR, GC initial dose, speed of GC tapering and peripheral arthritis |
| Kimura M, 2012 [38] | 123 | R | 2000–2009 | Hunder’s | C, L |
29 (23%); 7 (5.7%) |
No significant difference with RS3PE |
| Mackie SL, 2010 [24] | 169 | R | 1989–2000 | Bird’s | C, T | 83 (49.1%) | No association was recorded between occurrence of relapses and age, sex, APR and GC initial does |
| Boiardi L, 2006 [39] | 112 | P | 1993–1997 | ns | C, L | 49 (43.7%) | Persistently elevated IL- 6 levels, but not the CC genotype |
| Cimmino MA, 2008 [26] | 57 | Obs. Ext. of RCT | 1998–1999 | Chuang’s | C. L.T | 20 (35%) | Flare- ups of PMR were seen in 8/26 (30.8%) MTX-treated patients in comparison with 12/27 (44.4%) controls |
| Salvarani C, 2005 [40] | 94 | P | 1994–1997 | Descriptive | C, L, T | 47 (50.0%) | Persistently elevated levels of CRP (RR ranging between 2 and 5) and persistently elevated levels of IL-6 (RR 4–13) associated with occurrence of relapses. Age, sex and GC initial dose and peripheral arthritis did not predict relapses |
| Kremers HM, 2005 [41] | 284 | R | 1970–1999 | Descriptive | C, T | 55% | Higher ESR (HR 1.14); higher initial GCs dose (HR 1.07); fast tapering of GCs (HR 4.27), medium CS tapering (HR 2.19). Age, sex and peripheral arthritis did not associate with relapses |
| Martínez-Taboda VM, 2004 [42] | 54 | R | na | Descriptive | C, T | 18 (33.3%) | Increased expression of the HLA-DRB1*09 allele (5.6% vs 0%) |
| Gonzalez-Gay MA, 2002 [43] | 86 | R | na | Descriptive | C, L*, T |
18 (20.9%) 3 (3.5%) |
No differences in CRH-A or B alleles and genotypes |
| Amoli MM, 2002 [44] | 72 | R | na | Descriptive | C, T | 18 (22%) | HLA-DRB1*0401 and the ICAM-1 codon 241 GG homozygosity |
| Boiardi L, 2000 [45] | 92 | P | 1992–1996 | Descriptive | C, L, T | 40 (44%) | IL-1A (+ 4845), IL-B (-511), IL-B (+ 3954), IL-1RN Intron 2 VNTR and TNFA (-308) no associated with the disease severity |
| Salvarani C, 2000 [46] | 88 | P | 1992–1996 | Descriptive | C, L, T | 37 (42%) | No association with CCR5∆32 |
P, prospective; R, retrospective; Obs.ext. of RCT, observational extension of a randomized clinical trial; Mths, months, yrs; Yrs, years; Rheum, rheumatology; APR, acute-phase reactants; CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; OR, odds ratio; HR, hazard ratio; adjHR, adjusted HR; NA, not available; MTX, methotrexate; ACR, American College of Rheumatology; EULAR, European League Against Rheumatisms