Different cytokine profiles in patients with chronic and acute reactive arthritis

• Published in: Rheumatology (Oxford, England) Vol. 43; no. 10; pp. 1300 - 1304
• Main Authors: Butrimiene, I., Jarmalaite, S., Ranceva, J., Venalis, A., Jasiuleviciute, L., Zvirbliene, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.10.2004; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Arthritis, Reactive - blood; Arthritis, Reactive - metabolism; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - blood; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Flow Cytometry - methods; HLA-B27 Antigen - analysis; Humans; IFN-γ; Inflammatory joint diseases; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-10 - blood; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Monocytes - metabolism; Reactive arthritis; Synovial Fluid - cytology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; TNF-α; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Human; Cytokines; Acute; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Reactive arthritis; Cytokine; Rheumatology; Inflammatory joint disease; Profile; Spondylarthropathy; Chronic; IFN-γ; TNF-α; Tumor necrosis factor α
• ISSN: 1462-0324; 1462-0332
• DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keh323

Objective. Analysis of cytokine production in patients with acute and chronic reactive arthritis (AcReA/ChrReA) in order to search for new treatment possibilities. Methods. Cytokine production by peripheral blood and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (PBMCs/SFMCs) of 28 patients with AcReA, 27 patients with ChrReA, 26 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 31 healthy controls was analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow-cytometry. Production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-10 was measured by ELISA, while the percentages of TNF-α-, IFN-γ- and IL-4-positive CD3+ cells were determined in the same groups of patients and healthy subjects using flow cytometry. Results. Spontaneous TNF-α production observed in PBMCs of ChrReA, but not of AcReA, patients was significantly higher (P<0.001) than in healthy controls. The percentages of TNF-α-positive CD3+ blood cells in ChrReA exceeded that of RA patients and healthy controls (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Also, the percentages of IFN-γ-positive CD3+ cells were significantly higher in peripheral blood and synovial fluid of ChrReA patients (P<0.05 and P<0.05, respectively) as compared with AcReA. In ChrReA spontaneous IL-10 production in PBMCs was similar to that observed in healthy controls, while in RA and AcReA the production of IL-10 was significantly increased (P<0.05 and P<0.05, respectively). IL-4 production was low in all study groups with no significant differences detected. Conclusions. High production of TNF-α and IFN-γ detected in ChrReA supports the possible use of anti-TNF-α treatment in ChrReA.