Soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis : correlations with disease activity

Abstract EN

Objective : to measure soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels in serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine their correlations with disease activity.

Methods : Forty patients with RA and 10 healthy controls were included in this study .

They were subjected to thorough clinical examination and the following laboratory investigations : full blood picture, ESR, serum rheumatoid factor, serum and synovial fluid levels of sIL-2R by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results : Serum levels of slL-2R were significantly raised in patients with RA compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001) .

Within RA patients, the synovial fluid levels of siL-2R were significantly higher than serum levels (P < 0.01).

Moreover, serum and synovial fluid levels of sIL-2R showed significant correlations with parameters of disease activity including pain scale, grip strength, Ritchie articular index, haemoglobin %, ESR and index of disease activity.

Conclusion : Serum and synovial fluid levels of sIL-2R could be considered a reliable marker for disease activity in RA .