Investigation the Effects of Oleuropein on the Cytokines profile of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Nowadays, synthetic drugs used to treat inflammatory diseases are of the slightest interest due to their potential side effects and serious adverse effects. Therefore, finding new treatment approaches, especially herbal medicines, could help manage inflammation disorders. Olive and its products (oleuropein), as both antioxidants and inflammatory inhibitors, can effectively reduce the inflammatory process. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oleuropein on the cytokines profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

A 5 ml blood sample was taken from 40 patients with RA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from each sample using Ficoll. Then, it cultured in 24 well tissue culture plates with and without oleuropein and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The concentration of TNF-α and IL-4 was evaluated in the supernatant of treated and non-treated cells using immunoassay after 72 hours. The results were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA.

The results revealed a significant reduction of TNF-α in treated PBMCs with oleuropein compared to non-treated cells, especially in the 100 mg/ml of oleuropein (P<0.0001). In addition, a significant increase in IL-4 in a dose-dependent manner was indicated (P<0.0001).

Our findings demonstrated that oleuropein could effectively reduce the inflammation of inflammatory diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis, by increasing the anti-inflammatory factor IL-4 production and decreasing the level of TNF-α.