Correlation of serum interleukin-6 levels with joint involvement and thrombocytosis in systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
We measured interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in 70 serum samples obtained from 25 patients with systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), using the hybridoma cell line B9. Patients with systemic-onset JRA had significantly elevated serum IL-6 levels during active disease (mean +/- SD 92.1 +/- 75.1 hybridoma growth factor units/ml; P less than 0.00001 versus healthy age-matched controls), but not during remission. Serum IL-6 levels correlated with the extent and severity of joint involvement (P less than 0.001) and with platelet counts (P less than 0.05). Our data suggest that IL-6 plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of systemic-onset JRA.
de Benedetti
F
F
Universita' di Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Italy.
Massa
M
M
Robbioni
P
P
Ravelli
A
A
Burgio
G R
GR
Martini
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology*; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
D015850:Interleukin-6