الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of the workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The present work was done in order to assess serum interleukin-16 (IL-16) in SLE and RA patients and also to evaluate the correlation between its level and disease activity in SLE patients, in addition to correlation between its level and disease activity and joint destruction in RA patients. This study was carried out on 30 SLE patients and 30 RA patients; they were attending the Rheumatology & Rehabilitation Clinics and Internal Medicine Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University Hospital. SLE patients were fulfilling the criteria of the American Rheumatism Association. (ARA) revised criteria for classification of SLE (Tan et al., 1982), and RA patients were fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of RA (Arentt et al., 1988). In addition to 15 apparently healthy volunteers of matched age and sex to the patient groups. All SLE and RA patients were subjected to full history and clinical examination as vital sings, body weight and height, scalp examination, eye examination, skin examination, musculoskeletal examination: for joint, tenderness, warmth, swelling or deformity and muscle for tenderness, neuropsychiatric examination, abdominal examination, chest examination and cardiovascular examination. All cases were subjected to the following investigations: Plain x-ray on hands and feet, chest x-ray, complete blood picture, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, complete urine analysis, 24 hours proteinuria, Serum creatinine, liver function tests, and serum IL-16 level. For SLE patients (anti-ds DNA, C3, antinuclear antibody) and for RA patients rheumatoid factor. The following results were obtained: ” There was significant elevation of serum IL-16 level in SLE patients than in control group. ” There was significant elevation of serum IL-16 level in SLE patients with renal affection in comparison to these without renal affection. ” There was significant positive correlation between serum level of IL-16 and disease activity in SLE patients. ” There was significant correlation between serum level of IL-16 and other laboratory parameters (ESR &C3) in SLE patients. ” Serum IL-16 level in RA patients was significantly elevated in comparison to control group ” No significant correlation was obtained between serum IL-16 level and disease activity parameters in RA patients. ” There was significant correlation between serum level of IL-16 and joint destruction and damage in RA patients. Conclusion: ” IL-16 levels are elevated in patients with SLE, and their levels correlated to disease activity. ” IL-16 may be a useful indicator of disease activity in SLE. ” IL-16 levels are elevated in patients with RA and involved in joint destruction. ” Lack of correlation between IL-16 expression, local inflammatory activity, and clinical disease activity indicates that IL-16 is not a marker of inflammation in RA and might play a regulatory rather a predominant proinflammatory role in the pathogenesis of RA. Recommendations: ” More investigations are recommended to clear the production mechanism and pathogenic role of IL-16 in SLE. ” Longitudinal studies are needed to further establish whether high levels of serum IL-16 may predict the occurrence of SLE flare. ” IL-16 appears to be an interesting cytokine for further research to be a novel target in treatment of RA.