AB0483 Cutaneous adverse events related to TNF[alpha] blockers in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis

Background TNFα blockers are effective options for the treatment of different forms of chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA). However, these drugs are associated with a greater frequency of adverse events, especially infectious and allergic events. Objectives To evaluate the incidence and the main risk factors associated with cutaneous adverse events (CAE) in patients with CIA following anti-TNF therapy. Methods A total of 257 patients with active CIA and under using TNFα blockers were analyzed - 158 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 87 with ankylosing spondylitis(AS) and 12 with psoriatic arthritis (PA) - in a prospective analysis from January 2005 to December 2009. Patients with active or chronic infection, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C or human immunodeficiency virus, and those with overlap of other autoimmune rheumatic diseases were excluded. Anthropometric, socioeconomic, demographic and clinical data were evaluated, including DAS28, BASDAI and PASI. Skin conditions were evaluated by two dermatologists and a biopsy was performed in cases of doubt. Infectious events were classified as viral, parasitic, fungal or bacterial, depending on the clinical condition or identification of the etiological agent. Associations between CAE and clinical, demographic and epidemiological variables were determined using the chi-square test and logistic regression analyses for the identification of risk factors. The level of significance was set at 5% (p