FoxO3a involved in neutrophil and T cell survival is overexpressed in rheumatoid blood and synovial tissue.

Objective: FoxO3a is a transcriptional factor implicated in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Since rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with apoptosis defects, the expression level, regulation and phosphorylation status of FoxO3a was investigated in blood and synovium from patients with RA.

Methods: In microarray experiments, an overexpression of FoxO3a mRNA was observed in blood from patients with RA compared with healthy controls.

Association between the level of circulating bioactive tumor necrosis factor alpha and the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene polymorphism at -308 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with a tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor.

Objective: The tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) -308A polymorphism has been associated with high production of TNFalpha and poor response to anti-TNFalpha therapy, but these associations remain controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the association between circulating TNFalpha bioactivity, the TNFalpha -308 polymorphism, and the clinical response to infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: One hundred ninety-eight patients with RA were treated with infliximab and methotrexate.

Increased tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA expression in whole blood from patients with rheumatoid arthritis: reduction after infliximab treatment does not predict response.

Objective: It has been suggested that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with abundant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are more likely to respond to TNF-alpha inhibitors. We measured expression of TNF-alpha mRNA in peripheral blood of RA patients undergoing infliximab treatment in order to test its predictive value for treatment response.

Methods: Forty-four RA patients showing persistent disease activity and 27 healthy controls were studied.