title: Correlation of interleukin-2 receptor and neopterin secretion in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) an immuno dysregulation alters the release of neopterin from human monocytes/macrophages, probably by activation of a feed-back regulation mechanism in pterin metabolism. With the overactivation of T-lymphocytes, the secretion of interleukin-2 and its receptor (IL-2R) is influenced. Investigation on 84 RA patients has shown that this immunoactivation is accompanied by an increased secretion of neopterin and soluble IL-2R in the serum, and that both parameters are very suitable for detection of inflammatory disease activity. The significant correlation between neopterin and IL-2R (r = 0.65; p < or = 0.001) in RA points out a possible connection in pathomechanisms of the immune system.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation of Internal Diseases, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kullich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein