Cytokine production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and their first-degree relatives.
BACKGROUND
To understand the cytokine levels in different disease activities of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), we measured proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokine production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with AS and their first-degree relatives (FDR).


METHODS
PBMC were obtained from 26 patients with AS and 24 FDR and then stimulated with PHA for 72 h. In the supernatants, the following three cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), and IL-10, were measured by ELISA. Disease activity in AS patients was divided into high disease activity (Group 1) and low disease activity (Group 2), based on the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI > or =4 or <4). Healthy FDR of AS patients (Group 3) and healthy subjects (Group 4) were used as a control group.


RESULTS
TNF-alpha production from PBMC was significantly increased in Group 1 patients compared to Group 2 patients (1371 +/- 1008 pg/mL vs. 355 +/- 89 pg/mL, p <0.05) or FDR (1371 +/- 1008 pg/mL vs. 552 +/- 89 pg/mL, p <0.05) or healthy subjects (1371 +/- 1008 pg/mL vs. 436 +/- 114 pg/mL, p <0.01). IL-1beta also showed a similarly significant difference between the two groups (Group 1 vs. Group 2, Group 1 vs. Group 4) (p <0.05). In contrast, IL-10 was significantly decreased in Group 1 when compared to Group 2 (126 +/- 64 pg/mL vs. 272 +/- 150 pg/mL, p <0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with high BASDAI had increased production of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta compared to those with low BASDAI or healthy FDR, suggesting that proinflammatory cytokines may play an important role during active inflammation.
Chou
Chung-Tei
CT
Division of Allergy-Immunology-Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. ctchou@vghtpe.gov.tw
Huo
An-Ping
AP
Chang
Hsiao-Ning
HN
Tsai
Chang-Youh
CY
Chen
Wei-Sheng
WS
Wang
Hon-Pin
HP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines