TY - JOUR T1 - Increased Serum Interleukin 22 in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Correlation with Disease Activity JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol DO - 10.3899/jrheum.111027 SP - jrheum.111027 AU - Laurindo Ferreira da Rocha, Jr AU - Ângela Luzia Branco Pinto Duarte AU - Andréa Tavares Dantas AU - Henrique Ataíde Mariz AU - Ivan da Rocha Pitta AU - Suely Lins Galdino AU - Maira Galdino da Rocha Pitta Y1 - 2012/05/15 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2012/05/14/jrheum.111027.abstract N2 - Objective To analyze the role of interleukin 22 (IL-22) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods IL-22 serum levels were measured in 83 patients with established RA under treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and in 30 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Patients were assessed for clinical and laboratory variables. Correlations of IL-22 serum levels with disease activity measures [Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28)], serological markers, bone erosions, and demographic factors were assessed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 30 patients with RA and 14 controls were purified and stimulated in vitro with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)/ionomycin. IL-22 production by PBMC and in serum was investigated by ELISA. Results IL-22 levels were increased in patients with RA compared with controls (mean 432.37 pg/ml and 67.45 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.001). Levels of IL-22 correlated with DAS28 and CDAI measures. Rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity was correlated with higher levels of IL-22 in patients with RA (mean 575.08 pg/ml; p = 0.001). The presence of bone erosions was associated with high IL-22 levels (p = 0.0001). PBMC stimulated with PMA/ionomycin expressed higher levels of IL-22 in patients with RA than controls but this was not significant (mean 584.75 pg/ml and 295.57 pg/ml; p = 0.553). Conclusion IL-22 is elevated in the serum of patients with established RA. Elevated serum IL-22 allows discrimination between patients with different clinical and laboratory measures and indicates the potential of IL-22 as an additional tool for assessment of activity in RA, particularly in patients with RF antibodies and longterm disease. IL-22 is associated with bone-destructive disease. ER -