title: [Study on relationship between two different syndromes and three soluble cytokine receptors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between two different Syndromes (Cold-Damp Syndrome and Damp-Heat Syndrome) and three soluble cytokine receptors (sCKR, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, sIL-2R, soluble interleukin-6 receptor, sIL-6R, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, sTNFR1) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum levels of three soluble receptors were measured by ELISA in patients with RA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of 3 sCKR were significantly elevated in RA patients compared to healthy controls and obviously lowered after treatment (P < 0.01). The level of sIL-2R was significantly higher in Cold-Damp Syndrome than that in Damp-Heat Syndrome (P < 0.01), but serum sTNFR1 was significantly higher in Damp-Heat Syndrome than that in Cold-Damp Syndrome, there was no obvious difference between sIL-6R of two Syndromes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high serum sIL-2R and low sTNFR1 might be a criterion of Cold-Damp Syndrome, but the high sTNFR1 and low sIL-2R might be a criterion of Damp-Heat Syndrome, these criteria reflected some states of different functions in immune system in patients with RA.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Institute of TCM, Guangzhou (510095).
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor