Aim. To study was to assess the dynamics of cytokine profile indicators and quality of life in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis under the influence of the standard sanatorium-resort rehabilitation complex.
Material and methods. At the stage of sanatorium rehabilitation, 112 patients aged from 8 to 17 years (mean age 13.2±3.7) with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were examined. The dynamics of the main quality of life indicators were assessed using the CHAQ questionnaire (pediatric version). Changes in proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) were evaluated in correlation with quality of life indices. The control group consisted of 25 healthy equals in age.
Results. In juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, the cytokine profile changes, expressed in significantly higher indices of both pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines associated with functional disorders and, as a consequence, lower quality of life indicators as compared with healthy equals in age. Under the influence of sanatorium-resort treatment, functional disorders decreased, quality of life increased, levels of TNF-α, IL-1 as well as anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 significantly (p<0,05) decreased. As for other both pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines, only non-significant tendency to decrease was registered.
Conclusion. It has been established that before the beginning of sanatorium-resort treatment, the quality of life parameters were lower in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), while the values of both proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines were significantly (p<0,01) higher than in the control group. At the same time, changes in the studied parameters correlated with the activity of the inflammatory process and the severity of the functional insufficiency of the joints. There were noted the positive influence of the standard complex of sanatorium-resort treatment on the examined quality of life parameters and the tendency to normalization of cytokine profile indexes in patients with JRA.