ELEVATED SERUM CONCENTRATIONS OF THE CHEMOKINE RANTES IN PATIENTS WITH POLYMYALGIA-RHEUMATICA

Objective Evaluation of serum concentrations of chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica at disease diagno sis and during a six-month period of corticosteroid treatment. Methods Sera were obtained from patients at the time of PMR diagnosis and sub sequently after one week, two weeks, one month, three months and six m onths. At each time point a clinical and laboratory evaluation was per formed. Serum concentrations of lL-8, GRO alpha; RANTES, MCP-1, and MI P1 alpha were evaluated by commercial ELISA kits. Results Only RANTES serum levels were significantly higher in PMR patients than in control s. No correlation was found between RANTES concentrations and laborato ry and clinical features. Chemokine levels reached their lowest level after one month of steroid treatment and remained in the normal range thereafter Conclusions The production of RANTES is enhanced in untreat ed PMR patients; corticosterotd treatment results in a normalization o f chemokine levels.