The serum levels of cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease and their clinical significance

• Published in: Zhonghua jiehe he huxi zazhi Vol. 31; no. 4; p. 264
• Main Authors: Ji, Yun-xin, Huang, Jian-an, Zong, Jian-ping, Lü, Ding-feng, Xin, Xia-fei, He, Jian, Chen, Yong, Chen, Xian-han, Yu, Song-ping, Li, Jia-lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.04.2008
• Subjects: Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases, Interstitial - blood; Lung Diseases, Interstitial - complications; Lung Diseases, Interstitial - diagnostic imaging; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - blood; Middle Aged; Radiography; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 - blood
• ISSN: 1001-0939

To study the clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1) in the serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). Twenty-nine patients with RA only (the RA group) and 28 patients with RA associated ILD (the RA-ILD group) were included in the study. Patients in the RA-ILD group were divided into 2 subgroups, 16 in the early RA-ILD group and 12 in the late RA-ILD group. Twenty-nine healthy volunteers served as the control group. ELISA was used to detect the levels of MMP-9, TIMP-1, TGF-beta1 in the serum of the three groups. The TIMP-1 levels of both the RA and the RA-ILD groups [(645 +/- 220) microg/L, (536 +/- 188) microg/L] were significantly higher than that of the control group [(392 +/- 92) microg/L, F = 15.221, P < 0.01]. The TGF-beta1 level of the RA-ILD group [(13.1 +/- 10.0) microg/L] was significantly higher than those of the control group and th