Collagen biomarkers may indicate responders to TNF-alpha inhibitors in arthritis

Research lead

Researchers at University College Dublin, Ireland, have shown for the first time that a blood test can predict which patients suffering from inflammatory arthritis will respond to treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors at an early stage.

There is evidence that treating rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis with tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitors can prevent joint damage and limit disability. But while the extent of joint destruction can be measured by X-ray, this visible progression develops over months and years, and so cannot be used to assess if the treatment is working to reduce joint damage over a short period.

Ronan Mullan and colleagues measured particles of collagen in the blood after the start of treatment with anti-TNF drugs. They found early changes in the blood levels of these biomarkers at four weeks corresponded to the visible joint destruction seen on X-ray after one year.

‘We are very excited about the results of this research, which clearly show that collagen biomarkers may be valuable early indicators of response to arthritis treatment’, said one of the researchers, Professor Douglas Veale. “This new blood test could rapidly identify patients who are at risk of their disease progressing despite ongoing therapy. It would be a valuable diagnostic tool for clinicians.”