Comparative analysis of the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and glycosylated ferritin in patients with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis and adult-onset Still's disease

Abstract

Idiopathic recurrent pericarditis (IRP) and adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) are polygenic autoinflammatory diseases, in the pathogenesis of which pro-inflammatory cytokines from the interleukin-1 superfamily play a central role.Aim. To compare serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and glycosylated ferritin (GF) in patients with IRP and AOSD during an exacerbation.Material and methods. The study included 15 patients with AOSD, 15 — IRP. The diagnosis of AOSD was established using the Yamaguchi criteria (1992). IRP was diagnosed in accordance with the 2015 European Society of Cardiology on the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. Blood sampling from all patients was carried out during the recurrence period prior to the anti-inflammatory therapy initiation. The serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), procalcitonin, total ferritin and GF was assessed. The results obtained were compared with levels of biochemical parameters, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as with white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts.Results. The median age in the AOSD group was 28 years, and the IRP — 55 years. An increase WBC count >10*109/L was detected in 10 and 9 patients in the AOSD and IRP groups, respectively. The concentration of CRP was increased in all patients and did not differ in the study groups (p=0,836).The highest values of ferritin and GF levels were found in the AOSD group (1416 ng/ml vs 408 ng/ml, p=0,008) and (12% vs 33,9%, p=0,067), respectively. In both groups, increased concentrations of IL-6 and IL-18 were determined. In the AOSD group, the concentration of IL-18 was higher than in the IRP group (2114 pg/ml vs 161,5 pg/ml, p<0,001). IL-6 concentrations in the study groups did not differ (33,9 pg/ml vs 24,9 pg/ml, p=0,4). IL-1β serum concentration in all subjects corresponded to normal values.Correlation analysis in the AOSD group revealed a direct relationship between the IL-18 and ferritin concentrations (rs=0,73, p=0,03).Conclusion. The study established a similar pattern of changes in inflammatory biomarkers in patients with AOSD and IRI. The most informative marker of inflammation was IL-18.