J Korean Med Sci.  2011 Sep;26(9):1132-1139. 10.3346/jkms.2011.26.9.1132.

Measurement of Interleukin-33 (IL-33) and IL-33 Receptors (sST2 and ST2L) in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Hong YS
• Moon SJ
• Joo YB
• Jeon CH
• Cho ML
• Ju JH
• Oh HJ
• Heo YJ
• Park SH
• Kim HY
• Min JK

• KMID: 1779384
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2011.26.9.1132

Abstract

The interleukin-33 (IL-33)/ST2 pathway has emerged as an intercellular signaling system that participates in antigen-allergen response, autoimmunity and fibrosis. It has been suggested that IL-33/ST2 signaling has been involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), because IL-33 and its receptor have been specifically mapped to RA synovium. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of IL-33 and sST2 in sera and synovial fluids in patients with RA. The serum level of IL-33 was significantly higher in patients with RA (294.9 +/- 464.0 pg/mL) than in healthy controls (96.0 +/- 236.9 pg/mL, P = 0.002). The synovial fluid level of IL-33 was significantly higher in RA patients than in osteoarthritis patients. The level of serum sST2 was higher in RA patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.042). A significant relationship was found between the levels of IL-33 and IL-1beta (r = 0.311, P = 0.005), and IL-33 and IL-6 (r = 0.264, P = 0.017) in 81 RA patients. The levels of IL-33, sST2 and C-reactive protein decreased after conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs treatment in 10 patients with treatment-naive RA. Conclusively, IL-33 is involved in the pathogenesis of RA and may reflect the degree of inflammation in patients with RA.

Keyword

Interleukin-33; sST2, ST2L; Arthritis, Rheumatoid

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/blood/drug therapy/*pathology
C-Reactive Protein/analysis
Female
Humans
Interleukin-1beta/analysis/blood
Interleukin-6/analysis/blood
Interleukins/*analysis/blood
Male
Middle Aged
Osteoarthritis/blood/pathology
Receptors, Cell Surface/*analysis/blood
Synovial Fluid/metabolism

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Interleukin 33 (IL-33) levels in sera (A) or synovial fluids (B) from the patients with OA and RA comparing to HC. HC, healthy controls; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis. Symbols represent individual samples.

• 

  Fig. 2 The expression of IL-33 and ST2 in the synovium of RA and OA. Immunohistochemical staining of RA synovium and OA synovium. RA, rheumatoid arthritis; OA, osteoarthritis. Data are representative of 5 RA and 2 OA independent samples that yielded similar results.

• 

  Fig. 3 The serum concentration of IL-33, sST2 and CRP before and after DMARDs therapy in patients with treatment-naïve RA. RA, rheumatoid arthritis; CRP, C-reactive protein; DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

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