The study of interleukin-23 and interleukin-10 serum levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to osteoporosis and healthy subjects

Cytokines play a crucial role in the processes which induce inflammation, joint destruction and extra-articular signs associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to examine the role of IL-23 and IL-10 in rheumatoid arthritis in pretreatment and post-treatment compared to healthy control subjects and osteoporosis patients. In this cross-sectional study, 30 patients diagnosed with RA and 30 healthy controls subjects and 15 patients with osteoporosis matched to age and gender were selected. Blood samples were collected from the patients and the control group to determine IL-23 and IL-10 serum levels. The serum levels of IL-23 and IL-10 were measured by ELISA assay. IL-23 serum levels in RA patients were more than IL-23 serum levels in control group and osteoporosis group and was considered a significant difference (P=0.007). IL-23 serum levels in the patient group three months after treatment decreased significantly compared to RA subjects before treatment (P=0.009). There was no significant difference between IL-10 serum levels in RA patients group before treatment compared to control group and osteoporosis group, but IL-10 serum levels in RA group before treatment and three months after treatment showed a significant difference (P= 0.001). The results showed that IL-23 and IL-10 are highly active in RA and these cytokines might be closely involved to pathogenic mechanisms of the disease.