title: Serum levels of interleukin-1b, tumour necrosis factor-a and interleukin-2 in rheumatoid arthritis. Correlation with disease activity.
abstract: Cytokines are potent immunoregulatory factors and may be directly involved in the disordered immunoregulation found in chronic rheumatic diseases. Interleukin-1b (IL-1b), Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Tumour Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-a) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as mediators of chronic inflammation. Serum levels of IL-1b and TNF-a measured by radioimmunoassay were significantly higher in patients with RA than in healthy controls of similar sex and age while serum levels of IL-2 were significantly lower in the same patients. Further IL-1b and TNF-a were significantly elevated in RA patients with active disease and IL-2 was significantly reduced when compared with patients with low active disease. Serum IL-1b and TNF-a appear to correlate with systemic inflammation, and systemic features of RA may result from dissemination of cytokines produced in the synovium. The role of IL-2 in RA remains controversial. Reduced levels of IL-2 may be an expression of a deficiency of T-cells to produce IL-2 in the active phases of RA or may be due to a possible absorption of IL-2 by lymphocyte receptors.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica, Universita Cattolica del sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altomonte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mirone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scolieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magaró
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C052994:interleukin-1beta (163-171)