According to recent research carried out by the doctors of Bichat Hospital Paris Diderot University France, Anakinra, a recombinant, nonglycosylated human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist was significantly helpful in treating acute calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal arthritis among patients who were unable to respond conventional therapies. This disease involves the introduction of crystals in the joints and neighbouring tissues, especially among the older population. Traditional treatment approaches; NSAIDs or Colchicine are contraindicated in CPP arthritis.

So, this study was aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of Anakinra among the CPP arthritis as the drug already known for its action on pseudogout which makes it a suitable option for this analysis. The thirty-three patients were included in the study and received Anakinra from the period 2011 to 2017. The data regarding pain score on a visual analog scale (VAS),  tender joint count (TJC), C-reactive protein (CRP) level and swollen joint count (SJC) was collected before and four days following the first Anakinra injection. Physician defined the criteria of good response as per the evaluation.

A total of 27 patients showed a good response. Patients exhibited reduced SJC (3.9 ± 2.7 to 0.9 ± 1.0), CRP level (116.1 ± 71.6 to 26.0 ± 23.1), VAS (64.8 ± 26.5 to 21.2 ± 19.7) and TJC (5.8 ± 5.0 to 1.0 ± 1.0) scores at 4th day following the treatment (p <0.0001, < 0.0001,  < 0.0001 and < 0.0001, respectively). No skin complication had occurred. The drug was well-tolerated. However, only one patient showed pneumonitis, controlled using oral antibacterial agents. These findings led to the positive impact of Anakinra on acute CPP crystal arthritis.