Predictors of the outcomes for joint inflammation and damage in recent onset rheumatoid arthritis patients

Funded Activity Summary

Currently, it is difficult to predict what will happen to an individual patient who presents with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, either as a result of the natural history of the disease or as a result of drug treatment. It is also difficult to decide which drug treatment to offer a patient and when to decide to change the treatment to obtain a better clinical response. This study will investigate whether it is possible to predict the outcomes for a particular patient with rheumatoid arthritis for joint inflammation and joint destruction, based on the findings in the joint lining tissue. This study will also investigate whether it is possible to make decisions on the likely success of drug treatment given to a patient with rheumatoid arthritis based on the initial or subsequent joint lining tissue biopsies. If successful, this study will lead to a greater ability to advise patients about likely outcomes from their condition, either with or without treatment and also to predict whether a treatment is likely to work at an early stage. In addition, this study may identify future potential treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2004

End Date: 01-01-2006

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $255,750.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Rheumatology And Arthritis

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

cell surface markers, cytokines, cell adhesion molecules | matrix metalloproteinases, RANK, RANKL, OPG | outcomes of joint inflammation and joint destruction | predicting response to drug treatment | predictors of joint inflammation and destruction | rheumatoid arthritis | sequential synovial biopsies before and after drug treatment

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