Association of interleukin-18 expression with enhanced levels of both interleukin-1? and tumor necrosis factor ? in knee synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (original) (raw)

2003, Arthritis & Rheumatism

Objective. To examine the expression patterns of interkeukin-18 (IL-18) in synovial biopsy tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to determine whether expression of this primary cytokine is related to the expression of other cytokines and adhesion molecules and related to the degree of joint inflammation. Methods. Biopsy specimens of knee synovial tissue either without synovitis (n ‫؍‬ 6) or with moderate or severe synovitis (n ‫؍‬ 11 and n ‫؍‬ 12, respectively) were obtained from 29 patients with active RA. Paraffinembedded, snap-frozen sections were used for immunohistochemical detection of IL-18, tumor necrosis factor ␣ (TNF␣), IL-1␤, IL-12, and IL-17. Furthermore, adhesion molecules, such as intercellular adhesion molecule 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, and E-selectin, and cell markers CD3, CD14, and CD68 were stained. Results. IL-18 staining was detectable in 80% of the RA patients, in both the lining and sublining of the knee synovial tissue. IL-18 expression in the synovial tissue was strongly correlated with the expression of IL-1␤

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