Table 4

Immune function in patients with systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Parameter

Studies & patients (N)

Baseline patient vs. control

Stress reactivity within patients

Stress reactivity patients vs. controls

Leucocytes

[42] 18 RA vs. 14 HC

[36] 21 RA vs. 10 OA

RA:

No difference [36,40,42]

RA:

Increase [36,40,42]

RA:

No difference [36,40,42] *

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

SLE:

No difference [43,45,44] *

SLE:

Increase [40,43-45]

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,43,45]

[43] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 12 SD

Altered (↓) [40]

No difference [44] *

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC

[45] 15 SLE vs. 15 HC

Total lymphocytes

[30] 21 RA vs. 20 HC

RA:

Altered (↓) [30,42]

RA:

Increase [30,40]

RA:

No difference [30,40]

[42] 18 RA vs. 14 HC

No difference [40]

No response [42]

Altered (↓) [42]

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,43,45]

SLE:

Increase [40,45]

SLE:

Altered (↓) [43-45]

[43] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 12 SD

Not reported [44]

No response[43,44]

No difference [40]

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC

[45] 15 SLE vs. 15 HC

Total T cells (CD3+)

[30] 21 RA vs. 20 HC

RA:

No difference [40]

RA:

Increase [40]

RA:

No difference [30,40]

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

Altered (↓) [30]

No response [30]

[43] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 12 SD

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,45]

SLE:

Increase [40,45]

SLE:

No difference [40,43]

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC

No difference (%) [43,44] *

No response (%) [43,44]

Altered (↓) [45]/(%) [44]

[45]15 SLE vs. 15 HC

Helper T cells (CD4+)

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

RA:

No difference [35,40]

RA:

Increase [40]

RA:

Altered (↑) [35,40]

[35] 7 RA, 6 SLE vs. 10 HC

Decrease [35]

[43] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 12 SD

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,45]

SLE:

No response [40,45]/(%) [44]

SLE:

Altered (↓) [45] (%) [43,44]/(↑)

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC

No difference [35]/(%) [43]

Decrease [35]/(%) [43]

[35]

[45] 15 SLE vs. 15 HC

Not reported [44]

No difference [40]

Cytotoxic T cells (CD8+)

[40] 9 RA, 7SLE vs. 15 HC

RA:

No difference [35,40]

RA:

Increase [40]

RA:

No difference [40]

[35] 7 RA, 6 SLE vs. 10 HC

No response [35]

Altered (↓) [35]

[43] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 12 SD

SLE:

Altered (↓)[40,45]

SLE:

Increase [40,45]/(%) [43,44]

SLE:

No difference [40,45,44] *

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC

No difference [35]/(%) [43]

Decrease [35]

Altered (↓) [35]/(%) [43]

[45] 15 SLE vs. 15 HC

Not reported [44]

B cells (CD19+)

[30] 21 RA vs. 20 HC

RA:

Altered (↓) [30]

RA:

Increase [30]

RA:

No difference [30]

[43] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 12 SD

SLE:

Altered (↑) (%) [43]

SLE:

Increase (%) [43]

SLE:

Altered (↓) (%) [43,44]

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14HC, 10HC

No difference (%) [44] *

No response (%) [44]

NK cells (CD56+)

[30] 21 RA vs. 20 HC

RA:

No difference [40]

RA:

Increase [30,40]

RA:

No difference [30,40]

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

Altered (↓) [30]

[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,45]

SLE:

Increase [40,45]

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,45]

[45] 15 SLE vs. 15 HC

Not reported [44]

No response [44]

No difference [44]

NK cell cytotoxicity

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

RA:

No difference [40]

RA:

No response [40]

RA:

Altered (↓) [40]

[45] 4 SLE vs. 8 HC

SLE:

No difference [40,45]

SLE:

No response [40,45]

SLE:

Altered (↓) [40,45]

Cytokines

IL-6

[39] 19 RA vs. 21 HC

RA:

No difference [40,41]

RA:

No response [40]

RA:

No difference [39-41]

[41] 21 RA vs. 20 HC

Altered (↑) [39]

Increase [39]

[42] 18 RA vs. 14 HC

Decrease (not plasma) [41]

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

SLE:

No difference [40]

SLE:

No response [40]

SLE:

No difference [40]

[46] 15 JIA vs. 14 HC

JIA:

Altered (↑) [46]

JIA:

Increase [46]

JIA:

Altered (↑) [46]

IL-2

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

RA:

No difference

RA:

No response

RA:

No difference

SLE:

No difference

SLE:

No response

SLE:

No difference

IL-4

[38] 29 RA vs. 30 HC

RA:

No difference [38,40]

RA:

No response [40]

RA:

No difference [40]

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

SLE:

No difference [40]

SLE:

Increase [40]

SLE:

Altered (↑) [40]

IL-8

[46] 15 JIA vs. 14 HC

JIA:

Altered (↑)

JIA:

No response

JIA:

No difference

IL-10

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

RA:

Altered (↓) (not intracell.)

RA

No response

RA:

No difference

SLE:

Altered (↓) (not intracell.)

SLE:

No response

SLE:

No difference

IFN-γ

[38] 29 RA vs. 30 HC

RA:

No difference [38]

RA:

No response [40]

RA:

Altered (↑) [40]

[40] 9 RA, 7 SLE vs. 15 HC

Altered (↓) (not intracell.) [40]

SLE:

Altered (↓)(not intracell.) [40]

SLE:

No response [40]

SLE:

Altered (↑) [40]

TNF-α

[39] 19 RA vs. 21 HC

RA:

No difference [39,41]

RA:

Increase [39,41]

RA:

Altered (↑) [39,41]

[41] 21 RA vs. 20 HC

β-adenoceptors

[45] 7 SLE vs. 8 HC

SLE:

No difference

SLE:

No response

SLE:

Altered (↓)

β-adrenoceptor sensitivity

[45] 7 SLE vs. 8 HC

SLE:

Altered (↓)

Not assessed

Not assessed

sIL-2 receptor

[42] 18 RA vs. 14 HC

RA:

Altered (↑)

RA:

No response

RA:

No difference

C-reactive protein (CRP)

[36] 21 RA vs. 10 OA

RA:

No difference

RA:

Increase

RA:

Altered (↑)

* Findings assumed after inspection of descriptive data.

↑ = altered response pattern is more pronounced compared to a control group; ↓ = altered response pattern is diminished compared to a control group;

RA = rheumatoid arthritis, SLE = systemic lupus erythematosus, JIA = juvenile idiopathic arthritis, HC = healthy controls, OA = osteoarthritis, SD = sarcoidosis patients. IL = interleukin, IFN-γ = interferon-γ, TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor α, sIL-2 receptor = soluble interleukin-2 receptor, intracell. = intracellular interleukin concentration on the single-cell level.

de Brouwer et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2010 12:R89   doi:10.1186/ar3016