We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The role of HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles in predicting short-term response to leflunomide in rheumatoid arthritis.
- Authors
G. Saruhan-Direskeneli; M. Inanc; I. Fresko; N. Akkoc; E. Dalkilic; E. Erken; Y. Karaaslan; G. Kinikli; F. Oksel; S. Pay; E. Yucel; S. P. Yentür; J. Duymaz-Tozkir; V. Yilmaz; N. Inanc; H. Yazici; M. Konice; H. Direskeneli
- Abstract
Objectives. To investigate the role of shared epitope (SE) alleles in the short–term clinical response to leflunomide for the treatment of active RA. Methods. In an open-label, multi-centre study of 16-weeks duration, 93 patients (82% female) fulfilling ARA 1987 RA criteria were treated with leflunomide (100 mg loading dose for 3 days, then 20 mg/day as the maintenance dose). The primary efficacy criterion was the response status according to the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria using Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) activity measure. SE determinations have been undertaken by polymerase chain reaction and sequence–specific oligonucleotide genotyping methods. Results. The mean (s.d.) Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) was 5.1 (1.3) before the treatment, which was significantly decreased after 16 weeks [3.0 (1.1), P P = 0.04). No difference was present according to SE hetero- or homozygosity (68.4 vs 69.2%). RF was also present significantly more frequently in the SE-positive group compared with negatives (78.4 vs 57.1%, P = 0.03). However, no significant difference was observed in the prevalence of RF positivity in patients with a good clinical response (72.7 vs 63.2%, P = 0.32). Conclusions. The results suggest that HLA–DRB1 SE presence may favourably affect the outcome of leflunomide monotherapy in an unselected group of RA patients with an active disease and naive to leflunomide.
- Publication
Rheumatology, 2007, Vol 46, Issue 12, p1842
- ISSN
1462-0324
- Publication type
Academic Journal
- DOI
10.1093/rheumatology/kem278