Interleukin 1 and interleukin 2 generation by peripheral blood cells from patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

We examined the spontaneous secretion of interleukin 1 (IL-1) from peripheral blood monocytes and staphylococcal protein A (SPA) induced secretion of interleukin 2 (IL-2) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 13 patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and 10 healthy controls. IL-1 and IL-2 secretion in the patient group was not measurably different from controls (p greater than 0.05). We also examined IL-1 and IL-2 generation in 7 patients before and 2 months after therapy with a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, piroxicam. A variable effect of piroxicam was observed on IL-1 and IL-2 generation despite the efficacy of piroxicam in reducing the clinical activity of the disease. Our results suggest the absence of an intrinsic aberration in IL generation from peripheral blood cells from patients with ankylosing spondylitis.