The Clinical Significance of Serum Interleukin-36α Levels in Patients with Gout.

BACKGROUND: Gout is a chronic inflammatory diseases caused by monosodium urate crystal deposition. However, the role of interleukin (IL)-36 in gout has not dbeen elucidated. METHODS: We enrolled 75 subjects, including 20 healthy controls (HC), 30 patients with acute gout attack and 25 patients in remission. Baseline data were obtained through clinical interrogation and laboratory data were obtained through tests of blood samples. Serum levels of IL-36α were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of IL-36α with other parameters. The diagnostic value of IL-36α was demonstrated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: The serum IL-36α level of gout patients in acute attack and remission stage was significantly higher than that of HC. Serum IL-36α was positively correlated with alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). Serum amyloid A (SAA) levels positively correlated with C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rates. Glutamyl transpeptidase levels positively correlated with AST and ALT levels. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, serum IL-36α levels were elevated in patients with gout and correlated with the clinical markers of inflammation. Our findings suggest that IL-36α may be a novel inflammatory indicator for gout.

Potential clinical value of serum interleukin-41 levels in patients with acute gout.

BACKGROUND: Gout is a common metabolic rheumatic disease, and there have been no reports on the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-41 in gout patients. The purpose of this study was to therefore determine the expression of IL-41 in the serum of gout patients. METHODS: Eighty-one participants were enrolled in this study, including 34 patients with acute gout, 27 gout patients in remission, and 20 healthy controls (HCs). Baseline data were obtained through interviews and laboratory parameters were acquired via blood sample testing. We measured serum IL-41 concentrations with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and executed Spearman's correlation analysis to investigate the correlation between IL-41 and other parameters, and the diagnostic value for IL-41 was demonstrated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Multivariate analysis was conducted by adopting logistic regression. RESULTS: Serum IL-41 concentrations in acute-gout patients were higher than those in HCs and there was no significant difference in serum IL-41 levels between remission gout patients and HCs. In addition, IL-41 was positively correlated with white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A concentrations, while it was negatively correlated with triglyceride levels. IL-41 showed good diagnostic value for gout, and the combination of IL-41 and uric acid produced a superior diagnostic value. We also noted that IL-41 was an independent risk factor for acute gout. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that serum IL-41 was elevated in patients with acute gout, and suggests that IL-41 may constitute a novel diagnostic marker for acute gout.

Circulating interleukin-39 as a potential biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Imbalances in cytokine networks have been shown to be a possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The interleukin (IL)-12 family is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases including RA, while IL-39 is a newly discovered member of the IL-12 family, although its role in RA remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to detect the expression of IL-39 in the sera of patients with RA and its relationship with RA activity. METHODS: We recruited 46 patients with RA and 35 healthy controls at Ningbo Sixth Hospital. Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis, and disease activity scores of 28 joints based on C-reactive protein were monitored. Serum concentrations of IL-39 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the association between serum IL-39 levels and clinical indicators. RESULTS: Serum levels of IL-39 were significantly higher in patients with RA compared with healthy controls (p < 0.0001). IL-39 levels positively correlated with rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and IgM; RF positively correlated with ESR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that IL-39 has diagnostic value for RA (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The significant increase of IL-39 levels in serum of patients with RA and its positive correlation with clinical indicators suggest that IL-39 may serve as biomarker for the diagnosis of RA.