Higher expression of TNFα-induced genes in the synovium of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis correlates with disease activity, and predicts absence of response to first line therapy

Higher expression of TNFα-induced transcripts in early RA synovitis is associated with higher disease activity, and predicts poor response to first-line therapy. That over-expression of TNFα-induced genes predicts poor-response to therapy regardless of the drug administered, indicates that this molecular signature is associated with disease severity, rather than with specific pathways of escape to therapy.