Liver Enzyme Elevations in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Clinical Relevance and Influence on Treatment Strategies

<b>Background and Aim</b>: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory polyarthritis of unknown etiology that symmetrically involves the synovial joints and leads to erosive arthritis. However, when inflammation remains uncontrolled, it not only affects the joints but also increases the risk of various systemic complications, particularly cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and malignancies such as lymphoma. Early initiation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has been shown to yield superior outcomes in terms of both clinical response and the prevention of joint damage. Nevertheless, the development of hepatotoxicity during treatment may necessitate dose adjustments or even modifications of the therapeutic protocol. Our aim in this study was to retrospectively evaluate the changes in liver enzyme levels in RA patients before and during treatment, especially in MTX and combination therapies using MTX, and to evaluate how these abnormalities affect treatment strategies. <b>Materials and Methods/Results</b>: Among the 33 patients included in this study, 15 exhibited elevated liver enzymes prior to treatment, whereas 18 developed hepatic enzyme abnormalities during therapy. Of the 12 patients receiving methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy and the 15 patients using MTX within a combination regimen, a total of 7 patients (21%) continued to present with elevated liver enzymes during follow-up. Among these, 5 patients (19%) were managed successfully by reducing the MTX dose, while MTX therapy had to be completely discontinued in 2 patients (7%). Notably, all 7 patients who required treatment modification due to persistent enzyme elevation belonged to the group with pre-existing liver enzyme abnormalities and were receiving MTX as part of a combination therapy regimen. <b>Conclusions</b>: These findings indicate that hepatotoxicity risk in RA patients can be effectively managed through close laboratory monitoring and timely dose reduction, with treatment discontinuation being required only in rare cases.