E039 Association between ethnicity and initial response to TNF inhibitors in people with rheumatoid arthritis: Results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis (BSRBR-RA)

Abstract Background/Aims Little is known about the association between ethnicity and response to TNF inhibitors (TNFi) in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study examines the association between self-reported ethnicity and DAS28 response after 6 months of treatment in patients starting their first TNFi using data from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA. Methods 14133 RA patients with self-reported ethnicity starting their first TNFi were included. Due to a very low proportion of non-white patients, ethnicity was divided into white or non-white for analysis. Outcomes included the change in disease activity using DAS28, the proportion of patients who achieved DAS28 remission and EULAR response at month 6. Adjusted regression models appropriate to outcome were used to compare between the two groups. Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data. Results Of 14133 patients starting TNFi with recorded ethnicity, only 607 (4.3%) recorded themselves as non-white (389 Asian, 134 Black, 57 Mixed ethnicity and 27 other) (Table). At start of TNFi, non-white patients were younger (non-white vs. white: mean 51 vs. 57 years; p