ArticleClinical rheumatology2013
Reduction of plasma IL-6 but not TNF-α by methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: a potential biomarker for radiographic progression.
Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed.
- Efficacy of methotrexate and etanercept biosimilar rhTNFR:Fc in Chinese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: A controlled, randomized and multicenter study.Scientific reports · 2020Trial
- Comparative Effects of Sertraline, Methotrexate, and Biologic Therapies on Circulating Inflammatory and Neurotrophic Mediators and Striatal Gene Expression in Collagen-Induced Arthritis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Predictive Biomarkers of Methotrexate Treatment Response in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review.Metabolites · 2025Review
- Endocannabinoid Tone and Oxylipins in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis-A Novel Target for the Treatment of Pain and Inflammation?International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Interleukin-6 levels and their haplotypes are associated with serological autoantibodies status and clinical activity in rheumatoid arthritis.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Article
- Diagnostic Accuracy Study of the Pediatric-Specific Ultrasound Scoring System for the Knee Joint in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.Arthritis care & research · 2024Article
- Effects and Safety of the Tripterygium Glycoside Adjuvant Methotrexate Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
- Could IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, and sP-selectin serum levels be considered as objective and quantifiable markers of rheumatoid arthritis severity and activity?Reumatologia · 2022Article
- Biomarkers to Predict DMARDs Efficacy and Adverse Effect in Rheumatoid Arthritis.Frontiers in immunology · 2022Review
- Steroid-Sparing Effect of Tocilizumab and Methotrexate in Patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
- Psoriatic arthritis and depressive symptoms: does systemic inflammation play a role?Clinical rheumatology · 2021Article
- Measures of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity.Arthritis care & research · 2020Review
- Article
- Association of High Serum Interleukin-6 Levels With Severe Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Increased Treatment Response Differentiating Sarilumab From Adalimumab or Methotrexate in a Post Hoc Analysis.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2020Article
- Methotrexate Enhances Apoptosis of Transmembrane TNF-Expressing Cells Treated With Anti-TNF Agents.Frontiers in immunology · 2020Article
- Does biologic survival depend on co-prescribed methotrexate dose in established rheumatoid arthritis? A real-world study.European journal of rheumatology · 2020Article
- MicroRNA‑34a‑3p inhibits proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast‑like synoviocytes.Molecular medicine reports · 2019Article
- Compound GDC, an Isocoumarin Glycoside, Protects against LPS-Induced Inflammation and Potential Mechanisms In Vitro.Inflammation · 2019Article
- New Promises and Challenges on Inflammation and Atherosclerosis: Insights From CANTOS and CIRT Trials.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine the effect of methotrexate (MTX) on plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and to investigate their associations with clinical and radiographic responses in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
methodsSixty-two untreated RA patients with the disease duration of ≤36 months in whom MTX was initiated were consecutively identified in our prospective RA cohort and included in this study. Concomitant use of prednisolone and synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs with MTX was allowed, but patients who used biological agents were excluded. Plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured at the time of diagnosis (baseline) and 1 year later. The relationships of the clinical and radiographic data with plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were analyzed.
resultsThe median age of the patients was 57 years, 49 patients were female, and the median disease duration was 3 months. Forty-six (74.2 %) patients were anti-cyclic citrullinated protein antibody-positive. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma IL-6, and DAS28 decreased significantly (p <0.001) after MTX treatment, but plasma TNF-α did not. Radiographic progression was significantly correlated with disease activity score and plasma IL-6 levels but not with CRP or TNF-α after MTX treatment. Patients with plasma IL-6 level above 4.03 pg/ml showed clinically relevant radiographic progression with a sensitivity of 91.7 % and a specificity of 88.0 %.
conclusionIn this early RA cohort, we demonstrated a significant (p <0.001) reduction of plasma IL-6, but not TNF-α, during MTX treatment. The post-treatment IL-6 level was a strong indicator of radiographic progression.
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