Autoantibodies and sIL-2 receptor levels in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

Autoantibodies and sIL-2 Receptor Levels in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis SUMMARY Autoantibodies and cytokines are known to play important roles in the pathogenesis is autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). In this particular study serum ANA,anti-dsDNA,IgM-RF,IgG ACA IgM ACA,anti-Sm and SIL-2R levels were investigated in clinically active 24 SLE, 25 RA patients and 29 healthy controls by microelisa. ANA was found to be positive in 95.8 % of SLE and 24 % of RA patients. Mean serum ANA level of SLE group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.001) while there was no significant difference between RA and the control groups (P>0.05). While anti-dsDNA was positive 100 %of SLE group, none of the RA and the controls showed anti-dsDNA positivity.The difference between the SLE and the controls was highly significant (P<0.001). Eighty and 16.6 % of the RA and SLE cases had IgM-RF antibodies respectively. Mean serum IgM-RF values of both SLE and RA group were significantly higher than that of the controls (P<0.01 and P<0.001). IgG ACA was found positive in 33.3 % of SLE and 16 % of RA group. Mean values were both significantly high (P<0.05 and P<0.01). IgM ACA positivity was 33.3 % and 20 % in SLE and RA respectively. The difference between mean values of both groups and the controls were significant (P<0.01 and P<0.01). SLE patients had 50 % anti-Sm antibodies and the difference between SLE and the control groups was significant (P<0.001). Although 12% of RA cases had anti-Sm antibodies, there was no significant difference between the mean values of RA and the control groups ( P>0. 05 ). SIL-2R levels were elevated in 79.16 % of SLE and 44 % of RA patients. Mean SIL-2R values of both SLE and the RA group were significantly higher than that of the controls (P<0. 001 and P<0.01). 49