Table 2

Comparisons between synovial fluid cytokineconcentrations in patients with early synovitis that develops into rheumatoid arthritis and other patient groups

Cytokine
Early RA versus all other early synovitis
Early RA versus established RA



P
Q
P
Q

IL-13
<0.00001
0.00002
0.00008
0.0004
EGF
<0.00001
0.00002
0.002
0.007
bFGF
<0.00001
0.00002
0.002
0.007
IL-4
<0.00001
0.00002
0.004
0.0097
IL-2
<0.00001
0.00002
0.004
0.0097
Eotaxin
0.00003
0.0002
NS
NS
IL-1
0.00003
0.0002
NS
NS
IL-17
0.00005
0.0003
0.002
0.007
IL-15
0.0001
0.0005
NS
NS
MIP-1β
0.0005
0.002
NS
NS
MIP-1α
0.0006
0.002
NS
NS
IL-12
0.002
0.006
NS
NS
GM-CSF
0.002
0.006
NS
NS
G-CSF
0.004
0.0097
NS
NS

Comparator groups were, first, patients with all other early synovitis (synovitis that develops into non-rheumatoid persistent synovitis plus non-crystal-related resolving synovitis plus crystal-related resolving synovitis) and, second, patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Groups were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. The significance of the difference between groups is shown (P). The false discovery rate correction was used to correct for the multiple comparisons made. Results are reported as Q values, which represent the likelihood of obtaining a given P value by chance, given the multiple tests performed. For cytokines not shown there were no significant differences between groups (a 1% false discovery rate [Q < 0.01] was used as the threshold for statistical significance). bFGF, basic fibroblast growth factor; EGF, epidermal growth factor; G-CSF, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; GM-CSF, granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor; IL, interleukin; MIP, macrophage inflammatory protein; NS, not significant.

Raza et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2005 7:R784   doi:10.1186/ar1733