Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Serum Levels of TNF-𝜶 and Its Soluble Receptors during the Course of Therapy with Etanercept and Infliximab

Table 1

Serum parameters in AS and RA patients treated with infliximab and etanercept, respectively.

Week

Ankylosing spondylitis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Infliximab

Etanercept

Infliximab

Etanercept

𝑁=28

𝑁=22

𝑁=28

𝑁=20

0

2

12

0

2

12

0

2

12

0

2

12

CRP; mg/mL

18.4; ±21.2

5.9; ±6.9

7.2; ±9.5

11.24; ±15.5

2.4; ±5.0

3.1; ±4.8

20.9; ±27.5

7.7; ±14.9

13.0; ±24.6

26.5; ±31.2

19.4; ±23.3

21.8; ±28.4

IL-6; pg/mL

3.1; ±7.4

0

0.4; ±1.9

15.2; ±18.3

3.8; ±8.7

6.3; ±10.8

11.7; ±28.8

7.5; ±21.4

5.2; ±7.1

19.8; ±25.7

13.3; ±27.5

10.9; ±20.4

TNF-α; pg/mL

2.3; ±6.3

1.6; ±4.9

2.7; ±7.7

2.5; ±8.3

25.6; ±14.8

23.4; ±14.8

10.7; ±19.3

6.0; ±13.0

13.0; ±27.2

5.8; ±15.7

19.2; ±15.8

23.1; ±28.7

Patients; >10 pg/mL

4; 14%

3; 11%

3; 11%

2; 9%

21; 96%

18; 82%

9; 32%

5; 18%

9; 32%

4; 20%

14; 70%

13; 65%

TNF-R1; ng/mL

1.01; ±0.47

0.86; ±0.30

0.86; ±0.27

0.74; ±0.16

0.55; ±0.16

0.57; ±0.17

1.23; ±0.58

1.06; ±0.45

1.20; ±0.79

1.21; ±0.35

1.10; ±0.36

1.17; ±0.39

TNF-R2; ng/mL

3.08; ±1.09

2.84; ±0.95

3.10; ±1.06

2.43; ±1.55

474 *; ±319

570 *; ±348

4.03; ±1.33

3.60; ±1.38

3.95; ±1.20

2.02; ±0.66

278 *; ±144

280 *; ±198

The serum concentrations of CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, TNF-R1, and TNF-R2 are reported as mean values ± SD. Numbers in bold indicate significant differences in the concentration at 2 or 12 weeks into therapy, when compared to the pretreatment level; *indicates TNF-R2 determinations which were interfered with by etanercept.