Genome-wide association study of liver enzyme elevation in an extended cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients starting low-dose methotrexate

Aim: A follow-up genome-wide association study (GWAS) in an extended cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients starting low-dose methotrexate (MTX) treatment was performed to identify further genetic variants associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation. Patients & methods: A GWAS was performed on 346 RA patients. Two outcomes within the first 6 months of MTX treatment were assessed: ALT >1.5-times the upper level of normal (ULN) and maximum level of ALT. Results: SPATA9 (rs72783407) was significantly associated with maximum level of ALT (p = 2.58 x 10(-8)) and PLCG2 (rs60427389) was tentatively associated with ALT >1.5 x ULN. Conclusion: Associations with SNPs in genes related to male fertility (SPATA9) and inflammatory processes (PLCG2) were identified.