title: Increased levels of leukemia inhibitory factor in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritides.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine synovial fluid (SF) from patients with arthritis, for the presence of the cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF).
  
  
  METHODS
  SF from 152 subjects was examined for LIF, using a radioreceptor competition assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LIF was present at concentrations of 1-43 ng/ml in the SF of 23% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or other inflammatory or infectious arthritides but in only 1 of 29 patients with osteoarthritis (P < 0.01). In the RA patients, the SF LIF concentration correlated significantly with the peripheral blood white blood cell count (WBC) (P < 0.05) and the SF WBC count (P < 0.01), but not with other clinical or radiologic parameters of disease activity or progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LIF is implicated as a potential mediator of the local or systemic inflammatory response or the joint destruction seen in inflammatory arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Waring
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kandiah
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buirski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Metcalf
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005528:Foot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000032:analysis*; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines