Title:Evaluating the Relationship Between Serum Level of Interleukin-6 and Rheumatoid Arthritis Severity and Disease Activity
VOLUME: 16 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Elham Rajaei, Karim Mowla, Qodratollah Hayati*, Ali Ghorbani, Mehrdad Dargahi-Malamir, Saeed Hesam and Zeinab Deris Zayeri
Affiliation:Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Department of Nephrology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz
Keywords:Interleukin 6, rheumatoid arthritis, cytokine, DAS-28, cardiomyocytes, glycoprotein.
Abstract:
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
serum level and the severity and activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 120 RA patients referred to the rheumatology clinic, the patients
were diagnosed by rheumatologists according to ACR / EULAR 2010 criteria. Based on
DAS28 score the patients were divided into 4 groups: Remission, Mild, Moderate and Severe. Each
group contained 30 patients. Serum levels of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C-Reactive
Protein (CRP), anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (anti-CCP) and Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and serum
levels of IL-6, were measured. The relationship between these factors was measured and compared
to the relationship between IL-6 and these factors, and the activity of the disease was evaluated
based on DAS-28.
Results: This study showed that the serum level of IL-6 has a significant relationship with RA activity
according to DAS-28 (P value <0.001). There is also a significant relationship between the
ESR level, the number of painful joints, and the number of swollen joints, and the severity of the
disease based on VAS.
Conclusion: Generally the findings of this study indicate that serum level of IL-6 plays an important
role in the severity and activity of RA disease and can be considered as a determining factor in
evaluating the severity of RA in RA patients and it is a good guide for a step up or down of treatment.
