Treatment of Pregnancy RA

It is important to control the disease of pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis to ensure the fetal and maternal health. Frequent disease flare can increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including abortion, premature delivery and low birth weight. However, there is no scientific and standardized treatment strategy for RA during pregnancy. About 50% of RA patients need treatment during pregnancy. Tumor necrosis inhibitor (TNFi) is an effective treatment, which can significantly improve the symptoms of RA during pregnancy. However, in order to avoid placental metastasis, TNFi is usually stopped in early pregnancy. Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is a PEGylated, Fc-free TNFi, which does not bind FcRn and is consequently not expected to undergo FcRn-mediated transfer across the placenta. Therefore, it can not transfer through placenta into FcRn and is approved to treat RA during pregnancy. This study focuses on patients with RA who consider pregnancy. We compared the efficacy, safety and economy of CZP and glucocorticoids combined with hydroxychloroquine by a randomized controlled trial.