Relation between rheumatoid arthritis and Interleukin-6

Abstract

Joint and cartilage inflammation is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory disease that can develop into osteoarthritis and a range of symptoms and impairments. The prognosis of RA has been drastically altered by the availability of several therapy alternatives, even though its development and progression are still not fully understood. The microbiota has long been recognized as an important regulator of inflammation and immunity due to its ability to either stimulate or dampen systemic inflammation and alter the host's cytokine production pattern. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is the most abundantly expressed cytokine in rheumatoid synovium. In particular, IL-6 mediates acute-phase protein synthesis and terminal B-cell differentiation. Increased serum levels have been previously reported in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, serum IL-6 levels were measured in a well-defined cohort using a bioassay (B9 cells), and levels were correlated with conventional clinical and laboratory indices of disease activity. Increased IL-6 blood levels were associated with rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that this biomarker may be useful for diagnosing the disease at an early stage. There was no statistically significant correlation between disease severity and IL-6 levels in the serum. The cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) has been proposed as a biomarker and possible player in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis.