Interleukin 1beta and tumour necrosis factor alpha secreting cells are increased in the peripheral blood of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

• Published in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases 2003-04, Vol.62 (4), p.359-361
• Main Authors: Willeke, P, Schotte, H, Schlüter, B, Erren, M, Becker, H, Dyong, A, Mickholz, E, Domschke, W, Gaubitz, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cells, Cultured; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; Humans; Interleukin-1 - blood; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Sjogren's Syndrome - blood; Sjogren's Syndrome - immunology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0003-4967
• DOI: 10.1136/ard.62.4.359

To study systemic alterations of cytokine secreting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and their relation to common clinical and immunological manifestations of this disease. PBMC spontaneously secreting tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin 1beta (IL1beta), and interleukin 6 (IL6) were assessed by enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) analysis in a cohort of 31 patients with pSS fulfilling the modified European classification criteria. Nineteen healthy volunteers served as controls. ELISPOT results were correlated with glandular and extraglandular manifestations and autoantibody titres-that is, rheumatoid factor (RF) isotypes, anti-Ro/SS-A, anti-La/SS-B as determined by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The number of TNFalpha and IL1beta secreting cells was significantly higher in patients with pSS than in controls. No differences were detected in the number of IL6 secreting PBMC. Patients with recurrent parotid swelling (RPS) had a significantly increased number of IL1beta secreting PBMC. Moreover, the number of IL1beta secreting PBMC correlated with the disease duration (r(s)=0.479; p