Is there still a place for methotrexate in severe psoriatic arthritis?

Abstract

The management of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has long been equated with that of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly because methotrexate (MTX) was found efficient in RA in the 1990s. However, results of collective evidence-based medicine, included and argued in this narrative review, do not currently support the use of MTX as first-line therapy in severe PsA. A recent Cochrane systematic review examining the efficacy of MTX in PsA concluded that low-dose MTX was only slightly more effective than placebo. Questions about a structural effect of MTX in PsA remains non-elucidated. Even if tolerance data on MTX are more consensual and adverse events generally non-severe, subjective side effects such as fatigue might lead to MTX withdrawal based on the patient’s decision. PsA patients with axial disease, radiographic lesions, and extensive and disabling skin or joint involvement should receive early treatment with targeted therapy and no longer with MTX. Finally, the usefulness of MTX combined with targeted therapies is limited. MTX does not affect efficacy but only seems to increase the therapeutic maintenance of monoclonal TNF inhibitors. This narrative review may help clarify the place of MTX in PsA management. It allows for reflection on the evolution of current concepts and practices.