Aida S, Okawa-Takatsuji M, Aotsuka S, Shimoji K, Yokohari R
Department of Anesthesiology (Pain Clinic), Niigata University, School of Medicine, Japan.
Ann Rheum Dis. 1994 Apr;53(4):247-9. doi: 10.1136/ard.53.4.247.
Elcatonin (eCT), an eel calcitonin derivative, is shown to considerably improve the clinical signs and symptoms, as well as laboratory data, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The therapeutic efficacy of eCT, however, is reduced by preceding and/or concomitant use of corticosteroid. Thus the effects of eCT on the production of immunoglobulins, IgMRF and interleukin-1 (IL-1) by mononuclear cells (MNCs)/monocytes were studied, and compared among patients with RA that received three kinds of treatment and also normal volunteers (NV).
Ten patients with RA had been treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug only (NSAID group), 11 with oral prednisolone (PSL group), and eight with intramuscular eCT (eCT group). MNCs/monocytes from these patients, and also 10 from the NV group, were collected and cultured. IgG, IgA, IgM, IgMRF, IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta in the supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the NSAID, PSL and NV groups, eCT was added to the culture medium, and the effects of eCT on production of these substances were studied.
Baseline production of IgM, IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta by MNCs/monocytes in the eCT and NV groups was significantly lower than that in the NSAID group. Furthermore, addition of eCT to the culture medium significantly inhibited the productions of IgG, IgMRF, IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta by MNCs/monocytes in the NSAID group, whereas production of neither IgG, IgA, IgM, IgMRF nor IL-1 by MNCs/monocytes in the PSL and NV groups was affected by eCT.
eCT may regulate immune responses through MNC/monocyte function in patients with RA. The present results support our proposal that eCT is an effective agent for the treatment of RA.
鳗鱼降钙素衍生物依降钙素（eCT）已显示出可显著改善类风湿关节炎（RA）患者的临床症状和体征以及实验室数据。然而，皮质类固醇的先前使用和/或同时使用会降低eCT的治疗效果。因此，研究了eCT对单核细胞（MNC）/单核细胞产生免疫球蛋白、IgM调节因子（IgMRF）和白细胞介素-1（IL-1）的影响，并在接受三种治疗的RA患者以及正常志愿者（NV）之间进行了比较。
10例RA患者仅接受非甾体抗炎药治疗（非甾体抗炎药组），11例接受口服泼尼松龙治疗（PSL组），8例接受肌肉注射eCT治疗（eCT组）。收集这些患者以及NV组的10名受试者的MNC/单核细胞并进行培养。通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）测量上清液中的IgG、IgA、IgM、IgMRF、IL-1α和IL-1β。在非甾体抗炎药组、PSL组和NV组中，将eCT添加到培养基中，研究eCT对这些物质产生的影响。
eCT组和NV组中MNC/单核细胞产生IgM、IL-1α和IL-1β的基线水平显著低于非甾体抗炎药组。此外，向培养基中添加eCT可显著抑制非甾体抗炎药组中MNC/单核细胞产生IgG、IgMRF、IL-1α和IL-1β，而PSL组和NV组中MNC/单核细胞产生的IgG、IgA、IgM、IgMRF和IL-1均不受eCT影响。
eCT可能通过调节RA患者MNC/单核细胞的功能来调节免疫反应。目前的结果支持我们提出的eCT是治疗RA的有效药物这一观点。
