Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TURKISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, cilt.53, ss.1075-1083, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Background/aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting mostly small joints, such as hand and foot
joints symmetrically with irreversible joint destruction. In this study, the relationship between CD39 expression and the treatment
response of RA patients was examined to investigate its potential as a biomarker that demonstrates treatment response.
Materials and methods: This study included 77 RA patients and 40 healthy controls (HC). The RA patients were divided into 2 groups
based on their response to RA treatment, those with a good response to methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy and those with an inadequate
response based on the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism response criteria. Various
immunological parameters and Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) were examined between the groups using the Student’s
t-test.
Results: The monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cell (M-MDSC) percentage was higher in the RA patient group versus the HC
group. The CD39 expression in the T lymphocytes were higher in patients that responded well to the MTX compared to those showing
inadequate response. Additionally, s negative correlation was found between the DAS28 and CD39 in the T cells.
Conclusion: The results showed that the improvement in treatment response to the therapy in RA patients could be because of the
enhancement in the CD39/adenosine (ADO) pathway. Therefore, therapies targeting the CD39/ADO pathway in T cells may improve
RA treatments.
Key words: Rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate, treatment response, individualized treatment, adenosine pathway, CD39