ABSTRACT
To test whether there are differences in the levels and ratios of 6 pro- and 3 anti-inflammatory cytokines produced by mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] in rheumatoid arthritis [RA] subjects compared to controls. 79 participants [42 seropositive RA patients and 37 healthy controls] were enrolled in this study. The production levels in mitogen-stimulated PBMCs of the 6 proinflammatory cytokines [IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, lL-8, IL-17, IL-18] and 3 anti-inflammatory cytokines [IL-4, IL-10, IL13] were assayed by ELISA using kits obtained from Immunotech SA. The ratios of pro- to anti-inflammatory cytokines were calculated for all participants. There were significantly elevated levels of IL-8 and IL-10, and reduced levels of IFN-gamma, IL4, and IL-17 in mitogen-stimulated PBMC culture supernatants of RA subjects compared to controls. Of the 18 pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios, 3 ratios [TNF-alpha/lL13, IL-8/lL-4 and IL-8/lL-13] were significantly higher in RA patients compared to controls; and 6 were higher in controls [IFN-gamma/IL-4; IFN-gamma/IL-10; IFN-gamma/lL-13; TNF-beta/IL10; IL-17/IL-10; IL-18/IL-10]. Activated PBMCs of RA patients, regardless of disease activity, showed higher-level production of IL-8 and IL-10 compared to controls; lower-level production of IFN-gamma, IL-4, and lL-17; and elevated ratios of TNF-alpha/lL-13, IL-8/1L-4 and IL-8/lL-13