Finally, we verified higher IL-6 value in the RA patients than healthy control group (p = 0.007) and an association between high IL-6 levels and increased CDAI (r = 0.4648, p = 0.0015); DAS 28 (r = 0.3933, p= 0.0091), presence of bone erosions (r = 0.3170, p = 0.0361), ESR levels(r = 0.3041, p = 0.0448) and IFN-γ levels (r = 0.3049, p = 0.0468).Altogether, we suggest that IL10 -1082 (T>C, rs1800896) and INFG -1616(A>G, rs2069705) polymorphisms as well as IL-6 levels alterations may play a role for prognostic and disease follow-up.
<i>Agkistrodon</i> peptides downregulate the expression of TNF-<i>α</i>, IL-1<i>β</i>, and IL-6, which may alleviate cartilage destruction and bone erosion, thus relieving symptoms of RA.
In multivariate analysis, disease duration and IL-6 plasma levels ≥7.6 pg/mL arose as independent variables associated with presence of erosions at onset.
Clinical characteristics such as age at onset, rheumatoid factor positivity, joint erosion and extra-articular manifestations were compared among patients with different genotypes of the IL-6 and IL-8 genes.