title: Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in rheumatoid arthritis: effect of methotrexate, sulphasalazine and hydroxychloroquine therapy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the correlations of the serum soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) concentrations with disease activity parameters and response to treatment with second line drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Sixty-seven patients with active disease completed a 24-week, open, randomized study of methotrexate (MTX) versus sulphasalazine (SSZ) or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Serum sIL-2R levels were evaluated before entry and after 24 weeks by ELISA. Serum sIL-2R were significantly higher in RA patients than in controls (P = 0.0001) and correlated significantly only with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.03) and with Chronic Arthritis Systemic Index (P = 0.01) at study entry. No correlation was found between serum sIL-2R and other laboratory and clinical indices of disease activity. After 24 weeks of treatment no differences in serum sIL-2R in comparison with basal levels were found in either responding or in non-responding patients, although the mean reduction of sIL-2R was more marked in the MTX-treated cohort than in the HCQ and SSZ-treated groups. These data suggest that in RA the measurement of sIL-2R should be used with caution as an isolated index of disease activity and that it is not a useful marker of response to treatment with second line drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University of Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salaffi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carotti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cervini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine; D008727:Methotrexate