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04-Jan-2001
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Arch Hellen Med, 17(4), July-August 2000, 377-382
ORIGINAL PAPER
Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in adult patients with cystic fibrosis
A. PAPAMICHALOPOULOS,1 S. NANAS,2
E. POULIOU,1 G. PERPATI,1
I. MAVROU,2 E. PAPA,3 I. ECONOMIDOU,3 K. KARMANIOLAS,1
C. ROUSSOS2
1Adult Cystic Fibrosis Outpatient Clinic,
Athens Chest Hospital
2Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Evgenidio Hospital,
University of Athens
3Department of Immunology & Histocombatibility, “Evangelismos”
General Hospital, Athens, Greece
OBJECTIVE Cystic
fibrosis (CF) is characterised by an abnormal inflammatory response and frequent
pulmonary infections. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of proinflammatory
cytokine (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) in adult patients with CF and those of healthy
subjects and to investigate the relation of proinflammatory cytokine levels
to the severity of the disease.
METHOD The study population comprised 19
patients (10 males and 9 females, aged 23±12 years) and 9 healthy subjects (3
males and 8 females, aged 30±4 years). Serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines
were measured by a sensitive ELISA method. The severity of the disease was assessed
by FEV1 and Schwachman’s score.
RESULTS Statistically significantly higher proinflammatory cytokine levels
were found in the patients with CF in comparison to those of the healthy subjects:
TNFα: 4.0±1.8 (pg/mL) vs 1.7±0.9 (pg/mL), P<0.001, IL-1β: 0.5±0.9 (pg/mL)
vs 0.2±0.1 (pg/mL), P=ns, IL-6: 3.4±3.1 (pg/mL) vs 0.9±0.8 (pg/mL), P<0.003,
IL-8: 5.5±4.7 (pg/mL) vs 2.6±0.5 (pg/mL), P<0.029, respectively. The IL-6
levels were significantly higher in patients colonized by Pseudomonas
than in those who were non colonized (4.9±3.3 vs 1.4±1.5, P<0.009). No statistically
significant correlation of disease severity and proinflammatory cytokine levels
was detected.
CONCLUSIONS The study findings are indicative
of the presence of inflammation in every phase of the disease independent of
its severity.
Key words: Cystic fibrosis, Cytokines, Inflammation.