The clinical role of IL-23p19 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical implications of the over-expression of synovial and circulating interleukin (IL)-23p19 and the correlation between IL-23p19 and other cytokines such as IL-17, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, and IL-1beta in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Synovial fluid (SF) and sera of 22 patients with RA were obtained during knee arthrocentesis and stored at -20 degrees C. Tender/swollen joint counts, 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), and antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP Ab) were measured. Bony erosions were determined by X-rays. Serum and SF IL-23p19, IL-17, TNFalpha, and IL-1beta concentrations were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
The concentration of IL-23p19 correlated with the concentration of IL-17 in SF and sera, and with the concentrations of TNFalpha and IL-1beta in sera. SF IL-23p19 concentration was higher in patients who had bony erosions than those who had not. However, there was no correlation between IL-23p19 concentrations and other clinical parameters of RA.


CONCLUSIONS
Upregulated IL-23p19 in SF might be involved in joint destruction in RA through interplay with other cytokines such as IL-17, TNFalpha, and IL-1beta.
Kim
H-R
HR
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
H-S
HS
Park
M-K
MK
Cho
M-L
ML
Lee
S-H
SH
Kim
H-Y
HY
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000032:analysis; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000032:analysis; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000502:physiology*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011859:Radiography; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D020381:Interleukin-17; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D053759:Interleukin-23; D021122:Protein Subunits; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha