PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Su-Jin Moon
AU  - Yeon-Sik Hong
AU  - Ji Hyeon Ju
AU  - Seung-Ki Kwok
AU  - Sung-Hwan Park
AU  - Jun-Ki Min
TI  - Increased Levels of Interleukin 34 in Serum and Synovial Fluid Are Associated with Rheumatoid Factor and Anticyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody Titers in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
AID  - 10.3899/jrheum.130356
DP  - 2013 Nov 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 1842--1849
VI  - 40
IP  - 11
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/40/11/1842.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/40/11/1842.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2013 Nov 01; 40
AB  - Objective. Interleukin 34 (IL-34) is a recently discovered cytokine that binds macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) receptor. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by increased osteoclastogenesis. To identify the significance of IL-34 in RA, the IL-34 concentration was measured in serum and synovial fluid (SF). Methods. IL-34 concentrations were measured in serum from patients with RA (n = 113), patients with osteoarthritis (OA; n = 56), and controls (n = 36), and in SF isolated from patients with RA (n = 36) or OA (n = 24). Correlations between serum IL-34 levels and clinical features in RA were assessed. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17α, interferon-γ-induced protein 10, receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL), and Dickkopf-1 were also measured. Results. Patients with RA had a higher mean serum level of IL-34 than did patients with OA and controls (188.0 ± 550.3, 36.6 ± 38.0, and 49.1 ± 78.5 pg/ml, respectively). Similarly, SF IL-34 concentration was higher in patients with RA than in those with OA. IL-34 levels were positively associated with IL-6 levels in serum from patients with RA and OA. SF IL-34 concentration correlated significantly with IL-6 and RANKL levels only in RA. The serum level of IL-34 was not correlated with systemic osteoporosis and radiographic joint damage in RA. IL-34 levels in the serum from patients with RA were positively correlated with rheumatoid factor and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody titers (r = 0.282 and 0.491, respectively). Conclusion. Circulating IL-34 levels in RA correlated with autoantibody production. Further investigations of localized and systemic effects of IL-34 are warranted to elucidate RA pathogenesis.