Is it possible to discontinue glucocorticoids in rheumatoid arthritis with the use of synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs?

The aim of the work is to study the possibility of glucocorticoid (GC) discontinuation or their target dose achievement in patients (pts) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Materials and methods. 270 pts with RA (women – 86.6 %) aged 51.2 ± 0.71 years, with a disease duration of 50.20 ± 3.82 months were examined. Rheumatoid factor was found in 64.8 % of individuals, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) antibodies – in 66.6 %. DMARD therapy included methotrexate (n = 91), leflunomide (n = 95), sulfasalazine (n = 51), hydroxychloroquine (n = 3) or its combination (n = 126). The SPSS (version 22.0) software was used for the statistical analysis. Results. During the 3-year study, GC was withdrawn in 33 % of pts in the period from 3 to 30 months (mostly in the first 6 moths). Among those who continued to take GC, the target dose (