title: Interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor in juvenile chronic arthritis: correlations with clinical and laboratory parameters.
abstract: We sought to determine whether levels of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor were correlated with clinical parameters including functional capacity indices such as Steinbrocker's class and the Juvenile Arthritis Functional Assessment Report (JAFAR) score, with tests for inflammation, and/or with immunological parameters in 24 patients with active polyarticular or pauciarticular juvenile chronic arthritis. Levels of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor were significantly higher in juvenile chronic arthritis patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.005 and p < 0.00005, respectively). Interleukin-6 levels were correlated with the following parameters: number of painful joints (p < 0.025); Ritchie's index (p < 0.025); visual analog scale pain score (p < 0.025); Steinbrocker's class (p < 0.025); JAFAR score determined by patients (p < 0.05); JAFAR score determined by parents (p < 0.05); erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p < 0.0002); and serum levels of C-reactive protein (p < 0.0003), hemoglobin (p < 0.05), albumin (p < 0.025), and alpha 2-globulins (p < 0.025). Levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor did not correlate with any of the parameters studied. Levels of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor were not correlated with each other. Abnormal levels of interleukin-6 or soluble interleukin-2 receptor were not significantly associated with the presence of antinuclear antibodies, IgM-rheumatoid factor, IgA rheumatoid factor or anticardiolipin antibodies. Our findings suggest that interleukin-6 is a useful parameter for assessing juvenile chronic arthritis and that the potential clinical value of elevated levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in this disease needs to be further evaluated in longitudinal studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riccieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sili Scavalli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sensi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taccari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoppini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2