OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical factors predicting failure or a good 
clinical response in the cohort of RA patients entered in the Lombardy 
Rheumatology Network (LORHEN) registry after 3 years of treatment with anti-TNF 
agents.
METHODS: We studied the patients who had received anti-TNF agents and been 
followed up for a minimum of 6 months. Disease activity at baseline and after 6 
months was assessed using the DAS28, and response was evaluated according to the 
EULAR improvement criteria.
RESULTS: 1005 patients (55.72 years) were included in the analysis. at baseline 
the DAS-28 was 5.91+/-0.95 and a HAQ score was 1.46+/-0.61. At mean of 14.57 
months, 29.9% of the patients achieved a DAS-28 of <or=2.6 (remission). A higher 
RR for remission was associated with male gender (AHR 1.51, 95% CI 1.14-2.00; p: 
0.004) and a lower RR for remission with: prior treatment with >3 DMARDs (AHR 
0.077, 95% CI 0.58-1.03; p: 0.074), a high ESR (AHR 0.86, 95% CI 0.81-0.92; p: 
0.000), Steinbrocker's functional class III/IV (AHR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48-0.90; p: 
0.010), a high TJC (AHR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-0.99; p: 0.011). A 12-month EULAR 
non-response was observed in 153/821 (18.6%) associated with a higher baseline 
HAQ score (AOR 1.51, 95% CI 1.03-2.20, p: 0.033), prior treatment with >3 DMARDs 
(AOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.09-2.85; p: 0.021) and corticosteroid >5 mg/day (AOR 2.05, 
95% CI 1.06-3.97; p: 0.034).
CONCLUSION: We found that only a minority of patients with long-standing RA 
treated with anti-TNF agents achieve a good clinical response or remission.