SYNOVIAL-FLUID LEVELS OF PROINFLAMMATORY INTERLEUKINS AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIPS IN ELDERLY VS YOUNGER ONSET RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) is thought to be different f rom younger-onset disease (YORA) for many reasons, including a move el evated acute phase response and a more abrupt onset; both events are m ainly regulated by pro-inflammatory interleukins (ILs); in particular, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-8. To compare the synovial fluid (SF) levels of the se ILs, and their relationship to local inflammation as well as the ac ute phase response, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum C-r eactive protein (CRP) in the two RA subsets, Lye determined white bloo d cell(WBC) number, total protein (TP), IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-g concen trations in the SF of 50 patients, 15 with EORA and 35 with YORA, Both ESR and CRP were higher in EORA than in YORA. IL-6 was higher in SF o f EORA (2111.37+/-1425.03 pg/mL) than YORA (1077.53+/-757.62 pg/mL, p= 0.002), while no difference was observed for SF IL-1beta and IL-g. The re was a weak correlation between SF IL-6 and IL-1beta in EORA, wherea s SF ILs and CRP and/or ESR did not show any correlation in both group s. Our study indicates that in EORA, as in other diseases occurring in the elderly, there are el evated levels of IL-6. Higher SF levels of IL-6 may be, at least in part, responsible for the different behavior of EORA with respect to YORA. (C)1996, Editrice Kurtis