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Novel biomarker detects early RA
The serum 14-3-3 eta has been identified as a novel proinflammatory mediator in rheumatoid arthritis, and high levels can distinguish early-onset disease from other inflammatory diseases, according to new research.
Researchers analyzed banked blood samples from patients with early RA (n=99) and established RA (n=135) and compared them with controls (n=385), including 189 healthy individuals. Non-healthy individuals included those with osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, connective tissue disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus and other inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.
Using a 14-3-3 eta serum cutoff threshold of at least 0.19 ng/mL and comparing established RA patients with controls produced a specificity of 86% and a sensitivity of 77.4%.
“While previous research established that 14-3-3 eta is found in higher levels in patients with RA than healthy patients, our study demonstrates the clinical usefulness of 14-3-3 eta for improved diagnostic capacity of testing for early RA,” Walter Maksymowych, MD, medical research professor at the University of Alberta, said in a press release. “Combined testing of 14-3-3 eta with established markers will help provide physicians with more definitive diagnostic information and help facilitate early treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.”
The researchers wrote that 14-3-3 eta levels also were higher in PsA, but significantly different from levels found in patients with RA.
“Our finding that the 14-3-3 eta protein is elevated in RA and to a lesser extent in erosive PsA, but not in other inflammatory diseases, offers clinical utility for physicians because test results can help lead to a differentiated diagnosis,” Stanley J. Naides, MD, FACP, FACR, medical director of immunology research and development at Quest Diagnostics, said in the release. “Additionally, the correlation between 14-3-3 eta positivity and disease onset and severity may assist clinicians in personalizing the best course of treatment for the patient.”
Disclosure: The research was supported by Augurex Life Sciences and some of the researchers are affiliated with Quest Diagnostics or GlaxoSmithKline.