Distinct cytokine profiles of systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated macrophage activation syndrome withn particular emphasis on the role of interleukin-18 in its pathogenesis

摘要

Objectives. To compare the pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles and the cytokine kinetics in patients with secondary macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) due to systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (s-JIA) and in both active and inactive disease states of s-JIA (but no MAS), with those demonstrated in EBV-induced haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Kawasaki disease (KD), and to investigate the significance of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of s-JIA.