Early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is particularly important for initiating early treatment and preventing joint damage in patients with RA. Researchers have recently discovered that the 14-3-3η protein can detect early inflammatory processes indicative of RA. “14-3-3η is a protein involved in many intracellular functions from cell proliferation to regulating the intracellular communication networks that are involved in various inflammatory processes relevant to rheumatoid arthritis,” according to Walter P. Maksymowych, MD, Consultant Rheumatologist and Professor of Medicine, University of Alberta, Canada.
At the recent European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) annual meeting, Dr Maksymowych and colleagues presented data from several trials that involved the use of 14-3-3η as a supplemental test for the diagnosis of RA or to determine the response to RA therapy.
Elevated levels of 14-3-3η in blood have been associated with more severe disease activity. In patients undergoing anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy, low titers of this biomarker may suggest a good response to therapy, according to Dr Maksymowych.
The researchers presented data from 112 patients with early and established RA who had undergone the biomarker test. An analysis of serum 14-3-3η in their blood samples confirmed the presence of RA in these patients, even in patients whose C-reactive protein levels were low. The RAPPORT trial included 75 patients with established RA who were using anti-TNF therapy. A serum 14-3-3η analysis at week 15 showed that the 20% of patients who achieved a good response to therapy had 0.72 ng/mL median serum 14-3-3η levels at baseline compared with 2.52 ng/mL for those who did not respond as well to therapy. EULAR, June 12-15, 2013; Madrid