title: Survivin polymorphism is associated with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Survivin expression was associated with unfavorable and erosive course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is the first study investigating association between BIRC5 polymorphisms, survivin plasma levels and disease activity in RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A testing group of 123 and validation group of 150 RA patients initially treated with methotrexate monotherapy were genotyped for three BIRC5 promoter polymorphisms. Survivin plasma levels were determined in testing group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BIRC5 c.-31G>C was marginally associated with treatment response after 6 months of methotrexate treatment (p = 0.046) and with DAS28 at the time of inclusion in testing (p = 0.052) and in validation group (p = 0.057). Survivin plasma levels were not associated with BIRC5 polymorphisms or DAS28.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BIRC5 -31C>G polymorphism could be useful pharmacogenetic marker for methotrexate treatment response in RA.
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Praprotnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Saša
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Čučnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Žiga
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Rotar
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomšič
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Vita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dolžan
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077022:Survivin
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: genetic polymorphism; methotrexate; rheumatoid arthritis; survivin