EXPRESSION OF THE MULTIDRUG-RESISTANCE GLYCOPROTEIN-170 IN THE PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES OF RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS PATIENTS - THE PERCENTAGE OF LYMPHOCYTES EXPRESSING GLYCOPROTEIN-170 IS INCREASED IN PATIENTSTREATED WITH PREDNISOLONE
Jf. Maillefert et al., EXPRESSION OF THE MULTIDRUG-RESISTANCE GLYCOPROTEIN-170 IN THE PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES OF RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS PATIENTS - THE PERCENTAGE OF LYMPHOCYTES EXPRESSING GLYCOPROTEIN-170 IS INCREASED IN PATIENTSTREATED WITH PREDNISOLONE, British journal of rheumatology, 35(5), 1996, pp. 430-435
The objective was to evaluate the expression of the multidrug resistan
ce P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of pati
ents with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). PBL from 68 RA patients and 44 co
ntrols were evaluated. RA patients had a mean disease duration of 10.7
yr, with a mean number of past resistances to DMARDs of 0.82, and wer
e treated with NSAIDs (n = 34), DMARDs (n = 25) and prednisolone (n =
40). Fluorescence flow cytometry was used to assess P-gp membrane expr
ession on PBL. In the RA group, the percentage of PBL expressing P-gp
was higher in patients treated with prednisolone than in other patient
s [mean +/- S.D.: 10.7 +/- 15.8% vs 3.3 +/- 7.6%, P < 0.03, Student] a
nd was not related to other therapies, age, sex, RA duration, number o
f past resistances to DMARDs, activity, ESR, CRP. The percentage of PB
L expressing P-gp did not differ in RA and control groups, but was hig
her in the prednisolone-treated RA patients than in controls. Predniso
lone could induce a rise in the percentage of PBL expressing P-gp. On
the contrary, patients with a high percentage of PBL expressing P-gp c
ould be more resistant to DMARDs and need prednisolone earlier. Furthe
r studies are needed to address this question and to evaluate the pote
ntial implication of P-gp in drug resistance in RA.