Measurement of interlekin-1 in the synovial fluid and serum of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Abstract EN

Material : Twenty- five patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis were included in this study.

They were diagnosed according to the ACR criteria.

They constituted 23 females and two males, their age ranged from twenty-six to seventy years (mean 48.6 + 11.7).

Another ten non rheumatoid patients were chosen as control group.

They were eight females and two males with ages that ranged from 27 to 52 years (mean 38.2 + 11.3).

Methods : Full clinical examination was done as well as measurements of serum and synovial fluid interlekin-1 (IL-1) with immunoenzymatic assey for quantitative measurements.

Results : Serum and synovial fluid (IL-1) was significantly higher in the rheumatoid than the non-rheumatoid group.

There was a good positive correlation between the serum and synovial interleukin-1 and the disease activity (total joint score, Hb % & ESR).

Conclusion : Interleukin-1 plays a major role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.