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New University of Glasgow research investigated whether differences in genomic architecture-chromosome conformation signature (CCS) in blood taken pre-treatment from people with early rheumatoid arthritis could assist in identifying the likelihood of a response to the first line disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) methotrexate (MTX).
Chromosomal loop signatures in blood samples obtained in early rheumatoid arthritis could identify patients that will not respond adequately to ‘anchor’ treatment drug methotrexate. The study showed that a CCS in the blood samples obtained in pre-treatment early rheumatoid arthritis could identify patients that will not respond adequately to MTX with a high degree of accuracy.
MTX is the anchor drug for the treatment of people with new onset rheumatoid arthritis. Some patients treated with MTX do not respond to therapy, it can take six months to determine if a patient will not exhibit a sufficient response to MTX; this would then lead to a change in treatment.
Providing patients with the correct therapy during the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis can prevent long term disability, substantial damage can occur as a result of inflammation during the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis and damage correlates very well with future disability and loss of function.
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