[Analysis of immune inflammation-related proteins in serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the regulatory effect of Xinfeng Capsule on cytokines].

Objective To screen and verify the expression profile of immune inflammatory key proteins in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to explore the intervention effect of Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) on it. Methods The differential expressions of key proteins in serum of RA patients and healthy controls were screened by the RayBiotech antibody microarray. The correlation between differential proteins and laboratory indexes [rheumatoid factor (RF), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) antibody] was analyzed by Pearson correlation. Eighty RA patients were randomly divided into XFC group and leflunomide (LEF) group, 40 cases in each group. After 4 weeks of treatment, the clinical efficacy, laboratory indexes, self-perception of patient [Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), short form health survey questionnaire (SF-36)] and the changes of differential proteins were observed. Results Compared with healthy controls, in the RA group there were 24 up-regulated proteins and 9 down-regulated proteins, and IL-2, IL-5, IL-11, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-β (TNF-β), and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) expressions were up-regulated, while IL-8, programmed death 1-ligand 2 (PD-L2) and macrophage surface marker CD86 expressions were down-regulated, among which IL-11, IL-17, and PD-L2 were with the most significant difference expressed. IL-11 was positively correlated with hs-CRP (r=0.2412) and ESR (r=0.3799), and IL-17 was positively correlated with hs-CRP (r=0.4667). After treatment, the apparent efficiency of XFC group [62.50% (25/40)] was significantly higher than that of LEF group [25.0% (10/40)]; SAS and SDS were decreased, while PF, VT, and SF were significantly increased in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the two; hs-CRP, ESR, RF, and anti-CCP were significantly decreased in both groups with the XFC group being significantly better in reducing hs-CRP, ESR, and RF compared with the LEF group; IL-11 and IL-17 were significantly decreased, while PD-L2 was significantly increased in both groups with the XFC group being significantly better in reducing IL-11, IL-17, and raising PD-L2 compared with the LEF group. Conclusion In serum of RA patients the expressions of IL-11 and IL-17 are significantly increased, and the expression of PD-L2 is significantly decreased. Patients' health improves with the XFC redressing the imbalance of the expressions of IL-11, IL-17, and PD-L2.