Cure8 research brief
An increase in absolute lymphocyte count after starting TNF inhibitors was associated with lower mortality across several immune-mediated diseases; patients and clinicians may find this biomarker and its link to outcomes of interest when discussing treatment effects and monitoring.
Adult patients with IBD or other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, clinicians who prescribe biologic or targeted therapies, researchers studying biomarkers or drug effects, and patients currently on or considering TNF inhibitors.
The researchers used a large Veterans Affairs electronic health-record cohort to compare ALC changes after starting different biologic and targeted synthetic DMARD classes (including TNF inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, IL-12/23 and IL-23 inhibitors, IL-17 and IL-6 inhibitors, and abatacept).
TNF inhibitors were linked with a modest average increase in ALC that was larger than the changes seen with other drug classes. The analysis found that greater baseline ALC and an increase in ALC after treatment were both associated with improved survival, after adjusting for demographics and comorbidity.
The authors state it remains unclear whether the ALC increase is a causal mechanism improving longevity or instead a prognostic biomarker.
The report is based on VA electronic health-record data and is observational; associations do not prove causation. The abstract-level summary was used to prepare this note.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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