title: Performance evaluation of FlowCytomix assays to quantify cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the cytokine profile in RA patients and healthy control by using two methods-FlowCytomix assay and traditional ELISA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytokine levels were evaluated by FlowCytomix assay and ELISA in serum and supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures with and without stimulation by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly higher in sera of RA patients than those of healthy controls. The levels of IL-22, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 were higher in unstimulated PBMC culture supernatant of RA patients than those of healthy controls. PHA stimulation significantly increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines from PBMC with RA patients. Compared with detectable cytokine levels in sera, cytokine concentration in the supernatant of PBMCs was remarkably higher. FlowCytomix and ELISA showed significant correlation in detecting cytokines. However, the FlowCytomix assay detected more cytokines than ELISA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The supernatant of PBMCs provide a fine condition for the study of cytokine production because of the lack of interference factors in sera. The FlowCytomix assay is more sensitive than ELISA in detecting cytokines from RA patients. Multiple cytokine signatures using FlowCytomix assay may represent a more realistic approach in the future of personalized medicine in RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212002, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Liyang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Huai'an Hospital Affiliated of Xuzhou Medical College Huaian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212002, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hongchang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212002, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chengcheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuepeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212002, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Deyu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China ; Institute of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University Zhenjiang 212001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chaoming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mao
keywords: Cytokine profile; ELISA; FlowCytomix assay; rheumatoid arthritis