Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis of arterial and venous vessels of any size, involving young patients (from 15 to 45 years). BD significantly increases morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic management of BD depends on the clinical presentation and organ involved. Although colchicine, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents and topical treatments are often sufficient for mucocutaneous and joint involvement, more aggressive approach with immunosuppressive agents is warranted for severe manifestations. Early recognition and vigorous use of immunosuppressives with high dose steroids have changed the prognosis of patients with severe BD. BD is a severe systemic vasculitis leading to blindness in up to 20% at 4 years and a 5-year mortality rate of 15% in patients with major vessel or neurological involvement. Cyclophosphamide has been used for life-threatening BD for 40 years. However, the outcome of severe complications of BD is poor. The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendation for the management of BD advocated cyclophosphamide plus glucocorticoids for life-threatening manifestations (i.e neurological and/or major vessel involvement). TNFa antagonists have been used with success in severe and/or resistant cases. In addition, the incidence of blindness in BD has been dramatically reduced in the recent years with the use of anti-TNF. However, there is no firm evidence or randomized controlled trials directly addressing the best induction immunosuppressive therapy in severe BD manifestations. The investigators therefore aimed to assess the best induction therapy in severe and difficult to treat BD patients. The investigators hypothesize that up to 70% of the patients with life-threatening manifestations of BD receiving these compounds \[anti-TNFa or cyclophosphamide\] will achieve a complete remission of BD at 6 months and with less than 0.1 mg/kg/day of prednisone. ITAC, is the first randomized prospective, head to head study, comparing infliximab, to cyclophosphamide in severe manifestations of BD. There is no firm evidence or randomized controlled trials directly addressing the best induction immunosuppressive therapy in severe BD. Cyclophosphamide failed to demonstrate sustainable remission over 70 % of life threatening BD cases. There is little published information on use of immunosuppressants other than cyclophosphamide for severe BD. TNFa antagonists have been used with success in severe and/or resistant cases. TNFa expression correlates with BD activity and other immunological data provide a strong rationale for targeting BD with biologics. Despite a strong rationale, these compounds are not yet approved in BD, which guarantees the innovative nature of this study that aims selecting or dropping any arm when evidence of efficacy already exists.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
53
Use of infliximab instead of cyclophosphamide
Use of cyclophosphamide
CHRU Amiens
Amiens, France
Hôpital Avicenne
Bobigny, France
CHU Bordeaux
Bordeaux, France
Hôpital Saint André
Bordeaux, France
CH Ambroise Paré
Boulogne-Billancourt, France
CHU Caen
Caen, France
Henri Mondor Hospital
Créteil, France
CHU Dijon
Dijon, France
CHU Grenoble
Grenoble, France
CHU Bicêtre
Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
...and 17 more locations
Complete clinical response
The complete clinical response is defined by the remission of all affected organs involved at baseline with a prednisone ≤ 0.1mg/kg per day
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Complete clinical response
The complete clinical response is defined by the remission of all affected organs involved at baseline with a prednisone ≤ 0.1mg/kg per day
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Complete clinical response
The complete clinical response is defined by the remission of all affected organs involved at baseline with a prednisone ≤ 0.1mg/kg per day
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Remission of CNS and/or cardiovascular involvement
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Remission of CNS and/or cardiovascular involvement
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Remission of CNS and/or cardiovascular involvement
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Percent meeting the target of ≤ 0.1 mg/day/kg of prednisone
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Percent meeting the target of ≤ 0.1 mg/day/kg of prednisone
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Mean dose of prednisone
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Mean dose of prednisone
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Mean dose of prednisone
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Cumulative dose of prednisone
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Cumulative dose of prednisone
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Cumulative dose of prednisone
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Time to response onset
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
C-reactive protein
CRP in blood sample
Time frame: Every 4 weeks
Time to relapse
Relapse will be defined as the reappearance of clinical and/or paraclinical features of active disease or by the occurrence of new lesions at week 48
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Rate of relapse
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Time to occurrence of worsening
Worsening will be defined as the progression of preexisting lesions) at week 22 and 48
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Rate of worsening
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Overall survival
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Overall survival
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Event Free Survival
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Event Free Survival
Time frame: At week 48 after randomization
Frequency of adverse clinical events
Incidence of Treatment related Adverse Events
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Severity of adverse clinical events
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Change in quality of life
Change in quality of life (QOL) (SF-36V2TM Health Survey)
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Change in quality of life
Change in quality of life (QOL) (SF-36V2TM Health Survey)
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Changes in CNS involvement
Changes in CNS involvement on physical exam, and cerebral and/or medullar MRI.
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Changes in CNS involvement
Changes in CNS involvement on physical exam, and cerebral and/or medullar MRI.
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Changes in vascular involvement
Changes in vascular involvement on physical exam, vascular Doppler US, and angio-CT imaging and biologically (normalization of C reactive protein)
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Changes in vascular involvement
Changes in vascular involvement on physical exam, vascular Doppler US, and angio-CT imaging and biologically (normalization of C reactive protein)
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Changes in cardiological involvement
Changes in cardiological involvement on physical exam, echocardiography (normalization of left ventricular function and/or disappearance of cardiac thrombosis), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (disappearance of gadolinium enhancement and normalization of left ventricular function) and biologically (normalization of troponin and of C reactive protein)
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Changes in cardiological involvement
Changes in cardiological involvement on physical exam, echocardiography (normalization of left ventricular function and/or disappearance of cardiac thrombosis), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (disappearance of gadolinium enhancement and normalization of left ventricular function) and biologically (normalization of troponin and of C reactive protein)
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
Serum concentration measurement of TNFa inhibitor at week 22
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Change in Behcet's Disease Current Activity Form
Time frame: At week 12 after randomization
Change in Behcet's Disease Current Activity Form
Time frame: At week 22 after randomization
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