IN-VIVO ANALYSIS OF DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUG-THERAPY ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS BY SEQUENTIAL IMMUNOHISTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SYNOVIAL-MEMBRANE INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA
Bw. Kirkham et al., IN-VIVO ANALYSIS OF DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUG-THERAPY ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS BY SEQUENTIAL IMMUNOHISTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SYNOVIAL-MEMBRANE INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA, Journal of rheumatology, 21(9), 1994, pp. 1615-1619
Objective. To assess sequential changes of synovial membrane interleuk
in 1 beta (IL-1 beta) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving
chrysotherapy and glucocorticoids. Methods. Sequential synovial biopsi
es taken before and after 2 and 12 weeks of treatment were analyzed by
immunohistological techniques. Results. Significant decreases in IL-1
beta staining occurred in biopsies taken after 12 weeks' chrysotherap
y, while mononuclear cell numbers were unchanged. Results were similar
in patients receiving glucocorticoid and gold, and in those receiving
gold alone. Conclusion. These data suggest that chrysotherapy reduces
IL-1 beta production in vivo, a property that has been shown in vitro
, and that this change precedes changes in synovial membrane mononucle
ar cell numbers.