[Peripheral mononuclear cells and cytokine circulating levels during adalimumab therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the composition and functional integrity of the various components of immune response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated in 14 patients with RA with stable methotrexate therapy 12.5 mg/weekly, the number of peripheral mononuclear (PMN) cells lymphocytes, monocytes and the circulating levels of TNFalpha, IL-6 and IL-10 before and during adalimumab therapy 40 mg every other week for 6 months. No difference in baseline versus 6 months values between two treated group for PMN cells. Data about cytokines show a reduction for TNFalpha, IL-6 circulating levels and an increase for IL-10 circulating levels. Our data reveal that adalimumab doesn't reduce lymphocyte population and subsets such as CD14 or CD56 cells that have an important role against infections.