Decrease in 14-3-3η protein levels is correlated with improvement in disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with Tofacitinib

Abstract 14-3-3η protein is a proinflammatory mediator that may represent a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed the correlation between changes in serum 14-3-3η levels and changes in clinical disease activity measures in RA patients treated with Tofacitinib (TOF). Paired serum samples from 35 patients with RA were obtained at baseline and 5 months after the initiation of treatment with TOF. The levels of 14-3-3η were measured by JOINT stat 14-3-3η ELISA test kits (Augurex Life Sciences Corp.). The cut-off was defined as 0.19 ng/ml. 14-3-3η positivity was found in 57% of the patients at baseline and in 37% of the patients after 5 months of treatment. Mean ± SD baseline 14-3-3η levels [4.92 ± 8.86 ng/ml] were significantly higher (p