title: Involvement of IL-33 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis: the effect of etanercept on the serum levels of IL-33.
abstract: To investigate the role of interleukin (IL)-33 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, we measured the serum levels of IL-33 in RA patients before and after the administration of etanercept. Twenty-four patients with RA were treated with etanercept. Clinical and laboratory examinations, including serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and hemoglobin (Hb); white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) counts; and the Disease Activity Score of 28 joints including CRP (DAS28-CRP), were performed at the baseline and at 3 and 6 months after the initial treatment with etanercept. The mean serum IL-33 levels had decreased significantly at 3 and 6 months after the initial treatment with etanercept. Serum IL-33 levels showed a significant correlation with the number of tender joints, CRP, DAS28-CRP, and the WBC count, and an inverse correlation with the RBC count and Hb level. These findings indicated that the decrease of serum IL-33 levels was a novel function of etanercept, shown for the first time in this study. Measurement of serum levels of IL-33 may become a useful control marker for RA treatment.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamamatsu University, 1230 Miyakoda-cho, Kita-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-2102, Japan. Tsukatonpipi@nifty.com
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Torikai
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsujimura
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; C506536:IL33 protein, human; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000068800:Etanercept