Study of the association between nailfold capillaroscopic changes and serum level of interleukin-17 in rheumatoid: a clue for emerging vaculitis

• Main Authors: H K Koryem, M Y Tayel, S S Eltawab, R F Moftah, Omneya E Elazzay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2016-01-01
• Series: Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation
• Subjects: interleukin-17; nailfold capillaroscopy; rheumatoid vasculitis
• Online Access: http://www.err.eg.net/article.asp?issn=1110-161X;year=2016;volume=43;issue=4;spage=190;epage=195;aulast=Koryem
• ISSN: 1110-161X; 2090-3235

Objectives The aim of this work was to study nailfold capillaroscopic (NC) abnormalities and serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) level among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to find whether IL-17 is causally involved in the changes in the capillary vascular bed, such as autoimmune prevasculitic changes. Patients and methods The study was conducted on a group of RA Egyptian patients (n=40) who were diagnosed as having RA based on ACR criteria. Those 40 patients were further divided into two groups. Group 1 included RA patients with clinical signs of skin vasculitis and NC changes (n=6). Group 2 included RA patients with no clinical signs of skin vasculitis and no NC changes (n=34). All patients were subjected to demographic data collection, clinical examination, disease activity score 28 calculation, laboratory measurement (including erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, and IL-17) and NC examination. In addition, group 1 (n=6) was further subjected to electrophysiological evaluation using peripheral nerve conduction studies to determine the effect of vasculitis on the peripheral nerves. Results IL-17 level and NC changes showed a significant association in RA vasculitis patients. Conclusion Elevated levels of serum IL-17 and characteristic NC changes raise their importance in the detection of preclinical rheumatoid vasculitis.