title: Interleukin 1 in rheumatoid arthritis: potentiation of immune responses within the joint.
abstract: Specific immunoassays were used to measure IL-1 peptides in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in the serum of age-matched healthy controls. Patients with RA had raised levels of both IL-1 beta and IL-1 alpha in their sera compared to controls. Synovial fluid levels of IL-1 beta significantly correlated with immunoreactive IL-2 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R). In addition, incubation of synovial fluid MNC with human recombinant (hr) IL-1 caused a dose-dependent increase in the level of sIL-2R in the cell supernatant. Finally, production of IL-1 beta and IL-6 from RA peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) MNC was examined. PBMNC spontaneously produced low levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 that were augmented by the addition of hr IL-1 alpha. In contrast, SFMNC spontaneously produced high levels of IL-1 beta but only low levels of IL-6, again this production was augmented by the addition of hr IL-1 alpha. Taken together, the data suggests that IL-1 potentiates immune responses within the joint.
authors: Department of Medicine, Northern General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Symons
authors: T L
authors: TL
authors: McDowell
authors: F S
authors: FS
authors: di Giovine
authors: N C
authors: NC
authors: Wood
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Capper
authors: G W
authors: GW
authors: Duff
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007596:Joints / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2