Effects of infliximab on sister chromatid exchanges and chromosomal aberration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The aim of this study was to evaluate in a 24-weeks the effect of anti-TNF-alpha, infliximab, on cytogenetic biomarkers in peripheral lymphocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 40 patients with RA met the criteria to be treated with methotrexate (15 mg/week) were evaluated. Twenty patients, randomly selected, were treated with infliximab in addition to methotrexate (group I), whereas the other 20 patients continued with only methotrexate treatment (group M). Twenty healthy volunteers matched for age, gender and smoking habits served as control group (group C). At baseline, sister chromatid exchange rate was 7.20 ± 2.21 in group I, 7.40 ± 1.60 in group M and 4.97 ± 1.32 in group C (P < 0.01 vs group I and M). After 24-weeks, sister chromatid exchange rate was 7.87 ± 2.54 in group I and 7.81 ± 1.95 in group M (P = ns). High frequency cells count was 4.9 % and 4.7 % in the groups I and M, respectively, at the end of the study (P = ns). The basal chromosomal aberration frequency was 4.90 % in group I and 5.20 % in groups M; after 24-weeks, this was 5.10 % in group I and 5.10 % in groups M (P = ns). Infliximab treatment, for 24 weeks, did not increase the cytogenetic biomarkers in patients with RA. Our data show that the use of infliximab has not a genotoxic effect in patients with RA.