Lack of association between MTHFR gene polymorphisms and response to methotrexate treatment in Pakistani patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (mthfr) gene polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with response to methotrexate (mtx) in certain populations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (ra). this study aims at investigating any relationship of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in mthfr gene,c677t and a1298c with response to therapy with mtx in pakistani ra patients. allelic frequencies of the two polymorphisms (c677t and a1298c) were determined in 67 ra patients (9 males and 58 females; mean age 42.87±13.5 years) who had previously participated in a prospective clinical trial. fifty-one patients had received mtx and were followed up for response up to 6 months. genotyping of the two mthfr polymorphisms was carried out using pcr-rflp,while fasting concentration of plasma homocysteine was determined using a kit method. twenty-eight patients were found to be good responders