Augurex Life Sciences Corp. announces big leaps forward for applications of the JOINTstat™ (14-3-3η) blood test in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Disease management is quickly moving upstream toward earlier identification and treatment, in some cases even pre-disease, and RA is no exception.
14-3-3η is detectable up to 5 years before, and predicts the onset of clinical arthritis
Investigators in Amsterdam studied 14-3-3η in a group of 144 patients with joint pain (not yet arthritis) who were pre-selected for two other conventional blood tests, RF and anti-CCP. The study showed that 14-3-3η was detectable up to 5 years before onset of clinical arthritis and was present significantly more often (36% versus 14%; relative risk 2.5, 95 % confidence interval 1.2–5.6; p = 0.02) and at significantly higher levels (median 0.95 versus 0.28 ng/ml; p = 0.02) in subjects developing arthritis compared with those who did not. Dr. Dirkjan van Schaardenburg, the principal investigator of this study says, “There is an abundance of clinical evidence that if RA patients are identified as early as possible and treated to target remission, that debilitation can be avoided, sometimes completely. JOINTstat™ (14-3-3η) is a new blood test that can help “flag” high risk patients for early referral and appropriate intervention to potentially transform the early management of RA.”
JOINTstat™ (14-3-3η) predicts poorer radiographic outcomes, even in RA patients who achieve clinical remission
With the advancement of new RA therapies over the past 15 years, the possibility of treating to target remission has emerged. While many patients may achieve improvement of signs and symptoms toward clinical remission, joint damage processes can often still be underway and undetectable by standard blood tests. A new study in 331 patients, published earlier this year, shows that JOINTstat™ (14-3-3η) makes it possible to determine the risk of continued joint damage, even when there are no clinical signs of RA. Dr. Gilles Boire, commented, “The study showed that blood levels of 14-3-3η protein ≥0.50 ng/ml predict poorer clinical and radiographic outcomes in recent-onset inflammatory polyarthritis, both at baseline and after initiation of treatment, even in SDAI remitters.” Dr. Boire added, “A persistent positive 14-3-3η test would signal to the rheumatologist to “stay the course” to treat to radiographic remission even after the patient achieves clinical remission.”
World-renowned clinical scientists from the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan will be presenting JOINTstat™ (14-3-3η) data, cumulatively in approximately 1000 patients, at the upcoming European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology taking place June 8-11 in London.
List of 14-3-3 eta EULAR 2016 Conference Proceedings
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| Title | Date and Time |
|---|---|
| 14-3-3 eta positivity is associated with radiographic progression despite patients achieving clinical remission Presenter: Dirkjan van Schaardenburg Poster Number: TH0045 |
Presenter Available June 9, 11:45 – 1:30 |
| Testing of 14-3-3 eta in early undifferentiated polyarthritis can assist with prioritizing referrals of high joint damage risk patients to rheumatologists Presenter: Gilles Boire Poster Number: TH0048 |
Presenter Available June 9, 11:45 – 1:30 |
| Serum 14-3-3 eta is an RA specific mechanistic marker Presenter: Bidisha Dasgupta Poster Number: FRI0009 |
Presenter Available June 10, 11:45 – 1:30 |
| Baseline serum 14-3-3 eta independently predicts clinically important improvements in HAQ-DI in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with Tocilizumab Presenter: Shintaro Hirata Poster Number: FRI00097 |
Presenter Available June 10, 11:45 – 1:30 |
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