ABSTRACT
Drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs ( DMARDs ), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) and biological agents, etc. These drugs are critical in preventing the process and complications of RA. However, the outcome of treatment and adverse drug reactions with these drugs in RA patients are different individually. Drug-metabolizing enzymes (dihydrofolate reductase, cytochrome P450enzymes, N-acetyltransferases, and so on. ), drug transporters ( ATP-binding cassette transporters) and drug targets ( tumor necrosis factor-α receptors) are coded for by variant alleles. The gene polymorphism of drug transport-ers can change the distribution and excretion of drugs. The poly-morphisms of drug target affect significantly drug sensitivity. These gene polymorphisms may influence the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and side effects of medicine. In this article, we review the genetic polymorphisms that affect the efficacy of drug or the occurrence of adverse drug reactions in RA.