Blood test to tailor arthritis treatment

Blood test to tailor arthritis treatment.

A simple blood test could soon help medical staff target treatment for suffers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on those most likely to benefit.

Patients with one of two immune system antibodies are more likely to respond to an advanced form of treatment and, following a blood test to check for its presence, these patients alone will be targeted with this particular technique.

RA is a disabling auto-immune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body's own joints. Up to 80% of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are believed to have one of the two antibodies.

Trial results show these have a good chance of being helped by the "biologic" drug rituximab, also known as MabThera, which targets the immune system. However, it may not be worth giving the drug to the 20% of patients who test negative. This could help save time and money being wasted on useless treatment courses.

Professor John Isaacs, from the University of Newcastle, who led the research, said: "This is an important breakthrough in the treatment of this chronic and debilitating condition, heralding the beginning of an exciting new era for patients, physicians and indeed the entire RA community.
"Conventional practice is based on treating the patient population as a whole, leading to some patients cycling on ineffective treatments before achieving the optimum response.

"By identifying in advance which groups are most likely to respond to, or to have an enhanced response to, drugs like rituximab, we can ensure they are treated early enough to prevent irreversible joint damage and disability. Additionally, this will reduce treatment costs by avoiding the use of ineffective drugs."

Source: http://www.sidewaysnews.com/science-technology/blood-test-tailor-arthritis-treatment