Neopterin, soluble adhesion molecules and soluble cytokine receptors correlate with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Serum concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecules, sICAM-1, sICAM-3 and sP-selectin, of serum soluble cytokine receptors, sIL-2R, and sTNF-R55 and of neopterin were measured by commercially available immunoassays in 35 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Serum sICAM-1, sICAM-3 and sP-selectin were significantly elevated in patients with RA compared with healthy controls. Concentrations of sP-selectin and sICAM-3 correlated with disease activity and severity indices. sICAM-3 levels significantly correlated with sTNF-R55 and neopterin. There were significant correlations between neopterin and sIL-2R and between sTNF-R55 and sIL-2R. The measurement of sP-selectin and sICAM-3 levels in patients with RA might become useful for monitoring disease activity.