Predictive Value of Beclin1 in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Indian Population

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease leading to the destruction of articular cartilage and deformity of joints if not detected early. There is an unmet need to find out a highly sensitive and specific biomarker for RA. This was the first study designed in Indian setting to assess whether it can be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of RA in the Indian population. Aim: To correlate serum Beclin1 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis in the Indian population. Patients and Methods: Observational analytical study was conducted for 18 months at AIIMS Rishikesh, Department of Biochemistry in collaboration with the Department of Rheumatology. Beclin1 serum expression levels were estimated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and beclin1 mRNA expression was assessed by a real-time polymerase chain reaction from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Beclin1 expression was compared by Mann–Whitney U-test using SPSS 22 version. Cut-off values of Beclin1 for screening of cases were analysed by receiver operating characteristic test. Results: Age- and sex-matched 38 RA patients (5 males and 33 females) and 39 controls (8 males and 31 females) were recruited in the study. Patients with the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism score ≥6 were recruited in this study. Serum level of beclin1 was significantly (P ≤ 0.001) lower in cases (6.30 [2.82]) compared to healthy controls (11.43 [4.62]) which were corroborated with mRNA expression. The optimal cut-off value for detecting RA cases was 7.25 with 89.7% sensitivity and 79.8% specificity. Conclusion: Beclin1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of RA and may be considered a diagnostic marker for RA cases.