Cytokine profiles in axial spondyloarthritis

Marta Madej; Beata Nowak; Jerzy Świerkot; Renata Sokolik; Arkadiusz Chlebicki; Lucyna Korman; Patryk Woytala; Łukasz Lubiński; Piotr Wiland

doi:10.5114/reum.2015.50551

Cytokine profiles in axial spondyloarthritis

Reumatologia. 2015;53(1):9-13. doi: 10.5114/reum.2015.50551. Epub 2015 Apr 9.

Authors

Marta Madej¹, Beata Nowak², Jerzy Świerkot¹, Renata Sokolik¹, Arkadiusz Chlebicki³, Lucyna Korman¹, Patryk Woytala³, Łukasz Lubiński³, Piotr Wiland¹

Affiliations

¹ Chair and Department of Rheumatology and Internal Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
² Chair and Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
³ Department of Rheumatology and Internal Diseases, University Hospital in Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland.

Abstract

Objectives: Current studies concentrate on the cytokine network and its role in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis (SpA). In this study, we analyzed whether the serum cytokine profile (interleukins: IL-10, IL-11, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-33) correlates with demographic data, clinical manifestations, disease activity and treatment outcome in a group of patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Material and methods: Forty-nine patients with an established diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (aSpA) and 19 healthy volunteers as controls were enrolled in the study. Clinical evaluation included patient's medical history, 44 joint count, back pain intensity and global disease activity in the preceding week (VAS), the duration of morning stiffness and blood tests. Disease activity was assessed using BASDAI and ASDAS-CRP. Serum concentration of IL-10, IL-11, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-33 was determined.

Results: In patients with aSpA, elevated serum concentration of IL-10, IL-15, IL-17 and IL-23 was detected. In the aSpA group we detected higher values of serum concentration of IL-23 and IL-33 in the subgroup with anterior uveitis (83.1 ±184.0 pg/ml vs. 14.0 ±17.1 pg/ml, p < 0.0001 and 45.5 ±71.9 pg/ml vs. 18.4 ±14.3 pg/ml, p < 0.0001, respectively). Additionally, in the subgroup with peripheral arthritis, elevation of serum concentration of IL-12 (249.3 ±246.9 pg/ml vs. 99.9 ±105.9 pg/ml, p = 0.0001) was detected. Patients with preradiological SpA had higher serum concentration of IL-17 than patients with established diagnosis of AS (6.37 ±8.50 pg/ml vs. 2.04 ±2.98 pg/ml, p = 0.0295). No differences in serum concentration of analyzed cytokines were found between the subgroup with low to moderate disease activity and the subgroup with high to very high disease activity.

Conclusions: We report that in aSpA patients, compared to controls, elevated serum concentrations of IL-10, IL-15, IL-17 and IL-23 were observed. Some cytokines may predispose to a more severe course of aSpA.

Keywords: cytokines; spondyloarthritis; uveitis.