Evaluating tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin 17 as plasma biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis

Abstract

Introduction and aim. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with significant global health implications. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the clinical utility of plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) along with immunological parameters as diagnostic biomarkers for patients with RA. Material and methods. A case-control study was conducted involving 75 RA cases and 75 age- and sex-matched controls. Plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-17 were measured using ELISA kits. Statistical analyses included receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and correlation tests to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, predictive value, and associations with disease activity parameters. Results. RA patients exhibited significantly elevated TNF-α (275.5±99.9 vs. 46.2±8.4 pg/mL, p<0.001) and IL-17 (313.8±95.4 vs. 42.2±10.96 pg/mL, p<0.001) compared to controls. Patients with a family history of RA had higher TNF-α (p=0.019) and IL-17 (p=0.03) levels. ROC analysis revealed perfect diagnostic accuracy for both biomarkers (100% sensitivity and specificity) at cut-offs >65.2 pg/mL (TNF-α) and >83 pg/mL (IL-17). Conclusion. There was a positive correlation between serum levels of IL-17 and TNF-α. Therefore, these biomarkers distinguish rheumatoid arthritis patients from healthy controls.