by Steven Reinberg, Healthday Reporter
(HealthDay)—Genetic variations may hold clues to rheumatoid arthritis—suggesting not only who will develop the painful condition, but also predicting its severity and even who might die from it, a new study says.
"Genetic factors predisposing to disease, to disease severity, and response to treatment will allow tailoring treatment to individual patients' needs," said lead researcher Dr. Sebastien Viatte, a research fellow at the University of Manchester in England.
Using data from several sources on thousands of patients in the United Kingdom, researchers found that gene mutations at a location on a chromosome called HLA-DRBl were associated with rheumatoid arthritis severity and the response to treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor drugs.
This study, Viatte said, is a potentially important first step toward personalized medicine for patients with the challenging autoimmune disease.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation that can damage joints and organs, such as the heart, according to the Arthritis Foundation. About 1.5 million people in the United States have the often disabling condition.
Viatte said the new findings, published April 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, must be replicated before they can influence patient treatment.
Still, Dr. David Felson, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine, welcomed the report.
"This newly discovered genetic abnormality that is associated with the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis seems also to be associated with the severity of the disease and maybe with risk of dying from rheumatoid arthritis," said Felson, co-author of an accompanying journal editorial.
He added that although the risks associated with this mutation are modest, they appear to be real. "Every little bit helps," Felson said.
There isn't just one gene associated with rheumatoid arthritis, however, Felson said. Also, outside factors such as smoking may play a part, he said.
Advances have been made in identifying genetic susceptibility for autoimmune diseases, but not much is known about how this might affect disease prognosis and treatment, according to background information in the study.
To explore the association between HLA-DRBl gene mutations and rheumatoid arthritis, Viatte's team used imaging data collected on more than 2,100 patients to evaluate the severity of the disease. They evaluated the risk of death in more than 2,400 patients and the effectiveness of TNF inhibitor drugs on more than 1,800 patients.
The findings may help doctors and scientists better understand rheumatoid arthritis, Felson said. This also opens the door to further research, he added.
"To the extent that we can come up with new treatments, these treatments ought to take into account this gene mutation," Felson said.
Also, knowing who has this mutation might help identify which patients will need aggressive treatment, Felson said.
"We can now use all this to tell roughly how well a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is going to do, or how poorly they are going to do," Felson said.
Explore further: Children's genes affect their mothers' risk of rheumatoid arthritis
More information: For more on rheumatoid arthritis, visit the Arthritis Foundation.
Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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by Steven Reinberg, Healthday Reporter
New research reveals clues to disease severity, potential outcomes.
(HealthDay)—Genetic variations may hold clues to rheumatoid arthritis—suggesting not only who will develop the painful condition, but also predicting its severity and even who might die from it, a new study says.
"Genetic factors predisposing to disease, to disease severity, and response to treatment will allow tailoring treatment to individual patients' needs," said lead researcher Dr. Sebastien Viatte, a research fellow at the University of Manchester in England.
Using data from several sources on thousands of patients in the United Kingdom, researchers found that gene mutations at a location on a chromosome called HLA-DRBl were associated with rheumatoid arthritis severity and the response to treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor drugs.
This study, Viatte said, is a potentially important first step toward personalized medicine for patients with the challenging autoimmune disease.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation that can damage joints and organs, such as the heart, according to the Arthritis Foundation. About 1.5 million people in the United States have the often disabling condition.
Viatte said the new findings, published April 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, must be replicated before they can influence patient treatment.
Still, Dr. David Felson, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine, welcomed the report.
"This newly discovered genetic abnormality that is associated with the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis seems also to be associated with the severity of the disease and maybe with risk of dying from rheumatoid arthritis," said Felson, co-author of an accompanying journal editorial.
He added that although the risks associated with this mutation are modest, they appear to be real. "Every little bit helps," Felson said.
There isn't just one gene associated with rheumatoid arthritis, however, Felson said. Also, outside factors such as smoking may play a part, he said.
Advances have been made in identifying genetic susceptibility for autoimmune diseases, but not much is known about how this might affect disease prognosis and treatment, according to background information in the study.
To explore the association between HLA-DRBl gene mutations and rheumatoid arthritis, Viatte's team used imaging data collected on more than 2,100 patients to evaluate the severity of the disease. They evaluated the risk of death in more than 2,400 patients and the effectiveness of TNF inhibitor drugs on more than 1,800 patients.
The findings may help doctors and scientists better understand rheumatoid arthritis, Felson said. This also opens the door to further research, he added.
"To the extent that we can come up with new treatments, these treatments ought to take into account this gene mutation," Felson said.
Also, knowing who has this mutation might help identify which patients will need aggressive treatment, Felson said.
"We can now use all this to tell roughly how well a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is going to do, or how poorly they are going to do," Felson said.
Explore further: Children's genes affect their mothers' risk of rheumatoid arthritis
More information: For more on rheumatoid arthritis, visit the Arthritis Foundation.
Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Children's genes affect their mothers' risk of rheumatoid arthritis
A child's genetic makeup may contribute to his or her mother's risk of rheumatoid arthritis, possibly explaining why women are at higher risk of developing the disease than men. This research will be presented Tuesday, October ...
Genetics can explain why infections trigger onset of different types of rheumatoid arthritis
(Medical Xpress)—A new international study has revealed how genetics could explain why different environmental exposures can trigger the onset of different forms of rheumatoid arthritis.
New method of identifying people at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at The University of Manchester and King's College London, funded by Arthritis Research UK, have developed a new method to identify people that are at a very high-risk of developing rheumatoid ...
Team finds gene that confirms existence of psoriatic arthritis
PsA is a common form of inflammatory form of arthritis causing pain and stiffness in joints and tendons that can lead to joint damage. Nearly all patients with PsA also have skin psoriasis and, in many cases, the skin disease ...
New pathway reveals how immune system is regulated, gives hope for chronic diseases
Researchers from the University of Birmingham have identified an important new way in which our immune systems are regulated, and hope that understanding it will help tackle the debilitating effects of type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid ...
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Knee injuries are the bane of athletes everywhere, from professionals and college stars to weekend warriors. Current surgical options for repairing damaged cartilage caused by knee injuries are costly, can ...
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A drug from a parasitic mushroom that lives on caterpillars could become an effective new painkiller for people with osteoarthritis within the next six years, according to UK researchers.
Patients grapple with high cost of arthritis medications
The first national investigation of Medicare coverage of biologic disease modifying drugs (DMARDs) found that in starting a single biologic DMARD, patients face more than $2,700 in copayments each year before receiving relief ...
Walking on an incline could help people suffering from knee problems
Incline walking on a treadmill could benefit people with knee osteoarthritis or knee replacements, says a new study from Ball State University.
Meta-analysis: Valgus knee bracing helps pain in knee OA
(HealthDay)—For patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), valgus knee bracing is associated with improvements in pain, according to a meta-analysis published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Is painful knee and hand osteoarthritis in women associated with excess mortality?
Research looking at risk of early mortality of British middle-aged women and osteoarthritis was presented today at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases. It shows that any painful ...
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