Serum interleukin-33 in rheumatoid arthritis and its relation to disease activity

Abstract EN

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive, systemic inflammatory, con-nective tissue disease affecting approximately 1% of the general population.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a member of the IL-1 family, is a ligand for the orphan receptor ST2 (known as IL-1RL1 also).

IL-33 is crucial for Th2 cytokine-mediated immune responses however; it can overcome this role in RA.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the potential role of inflammatory cytokine (IL-33) in RA and assess the correlation of IL-33 level to disease activity.

Subjects and Method: The study included sixty patients with RA.

Patients were diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2010 revised criteria and were classified into 2 groups of 30 patients each according to disease activity score 28 (DAS28), the first group included RA patients with DAS28 of ≤2.4 and the second group included RA patients with DAS28 >2.4.Thirty normal subjects served as a control group.

Serum IL-33 was measured using ELISA.

Results: Serum IL33 level was significantly higher in patient's group compared to the control group (P ≤.001).

Also, serum IL-33 level, was significantly higher in patients’ group 2 (DAS > 2.4) than patients’ group 1 (DAS≤2.4) (P < 0.001).

Serum IL-33 level positively correlated with disease duration, ESR, CRP and disease severity.

Conclusion: IL-33 is a novel potential marker for the risk of RA as well as a marker of disease activity