Korean J Med.  2003 May;64(5):576-587.

Cytokine profiles in synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis

• Jeon CH
• Kim JH
• Park JH
• Ahn KS
• Kim HJ
• Kim EH
• Ahn JK
• Cha HS
• Koh EM

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The assay of cytokines and their soluble receptors in the synovial fluid of inflammatory arthropathy may be useful in studying pathogenetic and immunoregulatory mechanisms of different arthritis. The aim of this study is to investigate cytokine profiles in rheumatoid arthritis and to find the characteristic pattern of cytokine concentration in rheumatoid arthritis according to the clinical manifestations.
METHODS
We measured the concentration of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10, soluble TNF receptor I, II, IL-1 soluble receptor 2 and IL-6 soluble receptor in synovial fluid from the patients with rheumatoid arthritis using ELISA method. We compared these data with result from osteoarthritis patients. In rheumatoid arthritis, we investigated differences of cytokine profile according to clinical manifestations such as duration of disease, radiographic bone erosions and existence of rheumatoid factor.
RESULTS
All of the concentrations of cytokines except IL-2 were significantly elevated in synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis. When we grouped RA patients according to existence of rheumatoid factor and compared the concentration of cytokines, there were no significant differences between seropositive and seronegative group. We also compared early and late disease, and erosive and non-erosive group but there were no significant differences in cytokine level.
CONCLUSION
Our data support the results from other studies that concentration of pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory cytokines were elevated in rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis. However, we cannot find the relationship between clinical findings and cytokine profiles in joint fluid.

Keyword

Interleukin-1beta; IL-2; IL-6; IL-8; IL-10; Tumor necrosis factor alpha; Soluble receptors; Synovial fluid; Osteoarthritis; Rheumatoid arthritis

MeSH Terms

Arthritis
Arthritis, Rheumatoid*
Cytokines
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Interleukin-1
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-2
Interleukin-6
Interleukin-8
Joints
Osteoarthritis
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
Rheumatoid Factor
Synovial Fluid*
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Cytokines
Interleukin-1
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-2
Interleukin-6
Interleukin-8
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
Rheumatoid Factor
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha