title: Plasma TNF binding capacity in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and TNF-beta, also called lymphotoxin (LT), are bound by soluble truncated TNF receptors (sTNFRI and II) that are released from cell surfaces and act as natural inhibitors of TNF-induced inflammation. We investigated the plasma levels of sTNFRI and II in parallel with LT binding capacity (LTBC) in 44 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  LTBC was determined by spiking diluted plasma samples with 1000 pg/ml of human recombinant LT. Detectable LT was measured by an in-house ELISA and LTBC was expressed in arbitrary units (AU) as the percentage value of bound LT to added LT. The levels of sTNFRI and-II were measured by ELISA (R&D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found slightly reduced sTNFRI and II levels in JIA patients (n=44) compared with healthy controls sTNFRI: 1118 pg/ml (656-2074) [mean (range)] vs. 1262 pg/ml (819-2280) p=0.015; sTNFRII: 1953 pg/ml (889-4476) vs. 2311 pg/ml (1309-4186) p=0.008. The sTNFRI levels correlated positively with morning stiffness (r=0.30, p=0.044), physician's global assessment (r=0.39; p=0.009) and CRP (r=0.43; p=0.0048). sTNFRII did not correlate with measures of disease activity. In contrast, patient LTBC values were elevated compared to controls: 44 AU (36-52) vs. 31 AU (13-41) [mean (range)], p<0.0001, but did not correlate with disease activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite overall slightly reduced plasma levels of sTNFRI and II, the capacity to bind TNF appeared to be increased in plasma samples from JIA patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Inflammation Research, Rigshospitalet National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Birgitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bjørnhart
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svenningsen
authors.forename: Sif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gudbrandsdottir
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zak
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bendtzen
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D011994:Recombinant Proteins