Frequency and duration of clinical remission in patients with peripheral psoriatic arthritis requiring second-line drugs

Results. One or more episodes of remission occurred in 57/236 (24.1%) PsA patients and in 20/268 (7.5%) controls (P 0.001). Remission episodes were more frequent in PsA patients treated with anti-TNF compared with those receiving traditional DMARDs (P > 0.001), with no differences regarding the duration. After therapy interruption, the remission duration was 12 � 2.4 months in PsA and 3 � 1.5 in RA (P < 0.001). No remission predictor at diagnosis resulted by multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Remission is possible in up to 24% of patients with peripheral PsA. It is significantly more frequent, but not longer, in patients receiving anti-TNF drugs compared with those treated with traditional DMARDs. Patients remain in remission for a long period after therapy interruption, thus suggesting an intermittent therapeutic strategy.