title: Association between serum inflammatory cytokines and disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: Circulating interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), osteocalcin, and conventional parameters of inflammation were examined serially in 14 children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to determine any correlation with the disease activity. Serum IL-1beta was undetectable in all JIA patients. Serum IL-6, white blood cell counts, platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels were significantly elevated in the active phase of JIA, whereas hemoglobin levels were significantly lower. Osteocalcin levels were decreased and TNF-alpha increased in active JIA status, but these differences showed no statistical significance. We concluded that inflammatory cytokines play an important role in JIA. Monitoring IL-6 in children with JIA is useful in determining disease activity and response to therapy. These findings confirm earlier reports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Children's Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: See
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015675:Osteocalcin