Cytokine levels in serum of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis depending on subtype and disease activity
Pietrewicz, E.; Urban, M.ła.; Górska, A.
Polski Merkuriusz Lekarski Organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego 17(99): 232-234
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 1426-9686 PMID: 15628047 Document Number: 582490
We investigated serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) in 25 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) during both: active and inactive phases of the disease. The polyarticular JIA patients had the highest IL-6 level during both active and inactive periods, TNFalpha level was the highest in the systemic JIA, active and inactive periods. IL-6 and TNFalpha levels were significantly lower than those of controls (p<0.0003) in oligoarticular JIA. IL-6 correlated significantly with C-related protein (CRP) in active period (p<0.001) and inactive period (p<0.05) in oligoarticular JIA patients, such correlation was not found for TNFalpha. In conclusion, IL-6 and CRP may play an important role in JIA and may be used as a marker of disease activity.