When asked about the clinical implications of her study, Dr. Bokarewa responded by e-mail that, “For general practitioners and for rheumatologists, I would recommend to test the levels of survivin in blood circulation. High levels will indicate patients with severe and joint-destructive disease. High levels of survivin are tightly connected with progression of joint destruction and poor response to antirheumatic treatment. It is a valuable parameter to analyze in parallel with such accredited parameters as rheumatoid factor and antibodies to cyclic citrulinated peptides.”
She added, “We have preliminary data which would show that survivin (or survivin-related proteins) is a promising therapeutic target in arthritis.”
Dr. Pullen is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.
