Decreased immunoreactive beta-endorphin in mononuclear leucocytes from patients with rheumatic diseases. |
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| Authors: | C J Wiedermann P Sacerdote E Mur U Kinigadner T Wicker A E Panerai H Braunsteiner |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Innsbruck, Austria. |
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| Abstract: | The neuroendocrine polypeptide hormone beta-endorphin (beta-END), which is released from various tissues including the anterior pituitary gland and cells of the immune system, has recently been implicated as having an immunoregulatory role. We used a radioimmunoassay to measure beta-END levels in circulating mononuclear leucocytes from normal subjects and patients with various rheumatic diseases. Levels of beta-END in leucocytes from patients were lower than in leucocytes from healthy subjects (P less than 0.001). Whereas levels of beta-END in leucocytes from patients with the various rheumatic disorders were not significantly different, an inverse correlation was found between beta-END levels in leucocytes and expression of rheumatoid factor (P less than 0.025) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P less than 0.025). This study demonstrates decreased content of beta-END in cells of the immune system related to parameters of inflammatory activity in rheumatic diseases. |
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| Keywords: | Rheumatic diseases β-endorphin leucocytes |
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