TEC Genetic Polymorphism is Associated with TNF-α Inhibitor Treatment Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Numerous genetic and clinical factors influence the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and treatment response. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with different treatment responses in TNF-α inhibitor users. This study aimed to determine if Tec protein tyrosine kinase (TEC), which belongs to the Tec family of non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases, is associated with treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. RA patients from three university hospitals were recruited, and clinical data were collected from electronic medical records. One hundred fourteen patients treated with TNF-α inhibitor were included in the analysis. SNP-response associations were evaluated using logistic regression. Among the five SNPs analyzed, rs1472971 and rs11727166 were statistically significant genetic factors of TNF-α inhibitor treatment response. This study provides genetic evidence that TEC polymorphism can be a prognostic marker in treating RA patients.