title: Profile of cytokines in synovial fluid specimens from patients with arthritis. Interleukin 8 (IL-8) and IL-6 correlate with inflammatory arthritides.
abstract: The synovial fluid aspirated from patients with symptomatic arthritis was analyzed for the presence of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8). All three cytokines were found in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory arthritides: IL-8 levels ranged from less than 20 to 38,990 pg/ml, IL-6 from less than 10 to 72,300 pg/ml and TNF from less than 4 to 61 pg/ml. No inhibitors of cytokine activity were found. IL-8 and IL-6 were present in significantly higher levels in patients with inflammatory arthritis compared to patients with osteoarthritis, and there was significant correlation between the IL-6 and IL-8 levels. These findings document the presence of multiple cytokines in the synovial fluid specimens of patients with arthritis, and demonstrate that higher cytokine levels accompany inflammatory arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Remick
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: DeForge
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Showell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001168:Arthritis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha