FUNCTIONAL ALPHA-1-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS ON LEUKOCYTES OF PATIENTS WITH POLYARTICULAR JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

During the last decade it has been shown that the central nervous syst em can influence the immune system. In healthy individuals, catecholam ines can inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like int erleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) via inte raction with beta 2-adrenergic receptors. in contrast, we show here th at catecholamines can stimulate the production of the interleukin-6 (I L-6) in children with the chronic inflammatory disease polyarticular j uvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). The induction of IL-6 is mediated by triggering of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors on peripheral blood leuc ocytes of the patients with polyarticular JRA. Functional alpha 1-adre nergic receptors are absent on leukocytes of normal donors and on leuk ocytes of patients with the oligoarticular form of the disease.