ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Several factors, including clinical manifestations and laboratory data, have been used to evaluate the disease activity of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We investigated saliva indicators of disease activity in primary SS patients. METHODS: We enrolled 138 Taiwanese patients with primary SS and 100 Taiwanese normal controls. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and rheumatoid factor (RF)-IgA levels in saliva samples were measured using ELISA or fluorescent enzyme-linked immunoassay. Serum IgG, IgA, and IgM levels were measured by nephelometry. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was measured with an automatic ESR analyzer. The t-test and Pearson correlation test were used. RESULTS: IL-6 level was higher in primary SS patients than in normal controls (14.23±14.77 vs 9.87±7.32, P=0.012), but there were no significant differences in IL-17A, TNF-α, and RF-IgA levels. In primary SS patients, IL-6 level correlated weakly with ESR and IgG levels (r=0.252, P=0.015, and r=0.248, P=0.017, respectively), and TNF-α level correlated weakly with IgG level (r=0.231, P=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 may play a role in SS pathogenesis. Saliva IL-6 might be an indicator of disease activity in primary SS patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Blood Sedimentation , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Immunoassay , Immunoglobulin A , Immunoglobulin G , Immunoglobulin M , Interleukin-17 , Interleukin-6 , Interleukins , Nephelometry and Turbidimetry , Rheumatoid Factor , Saliva , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alphaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene (ICAM-1) K469E polymorphism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-five patients with RA and 254 healthy individuals were collected and enrolled in the study. The K469E polymorphism of ICAM-1 gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of KK, KE and EE of K469E polymorphism were 0.535,0.411 and 0.054 respectively in the RA patients, and 0.512,0.437 and 0.051 respectively in the healthy individuals, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (chi² = 0.371, P = 0.831). The frequencies of the K469 allele were 0.74 and 0.73 in the RA patients and the controls respectively (chi² = 0.127, P = 0.721, OR = 1.051, 95%CI:0.800-1.381). No significant difference was observed in KK + KE genotype frequencies between the two groups (P = 0.863), with an odds ratio of 0.935 (95%CI:0.436-2.005). CONCLUSION: The K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene was not associated with the susceptibility of rheumatoid arthritis.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics , Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1/genetics , Polymorphism, Genetic , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Disease Susceptibility , Female , Genotype , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment LengthABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significances of combined detections of the autoantibodies ANA, ANAs and anti-dsDNA in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: ANA was tested by indirect immunofluorescent method (IIF), ENA was tested by Western blot and anti-dsDNA was measured with radioimmunoassay in the serum samples from patients with SLE (n=90), and from the comparison group (n=74) and healthy control group (n=53). RESULTS: The sensitivity of anti-dsDNA, AnuA,anti-Sm in patients with SLE was 41.1%, 32.2% and 22.2%. The specificity of anti-dsDNA, AnuA, anti-Sm in SLE patients was all 97.3%. The positive likelihood ratios were 15.22, 11.93 and 8.22, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity reached 62.2% and 90.5%, respectively by combined determinations of anti-dsDNA, AnuA and anti-Sm. CONCLUSION: The combined examinations of anti-dsDNA, AnuA, anti-Sms can improve the sensitivity and efficiency of laboratory diagnosis of SLE.