title: Increased levels of circulating cytokines in patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: Expression of several cytokines has been demonstrated in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (H&RS) cells in vitro and in vivo. In order to determine whether interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-3, IL-6, GM-CSF, G-CSF, and TNF-alpha are elevated in Hodgkin's disease (HD), we tested the sera of untreated patients with HD by means of sensitive sandwich ELISAs. GM-CSF was detected in 22/56 patients (39%; range 40-140 pg/ml), IL-3 in 5/40 (13%; range 13-26 pg/ml), and IL-6 in 32/56 patients (57%; range 12-332 pg/ml). TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta were detected in only 3/43 patients (7%; range: TNF-alpha: 36-66 pg/ml; IL-1 beta: 389-1505 pg/ml) and G-CSF not at all. All patients with measurable IL-3 levels had both elevated IL-6 and GM-CSF levels, and the majority of patients with elevated IL-6 also had elevated GM-CSF levels and vice versa. In contrast, the 3/40 patients with both measurable IL-beta and TNF-alpha did not have elevated IL-3, IL-6, or GM-CSF levels. Cytokine levels were independent of stage or the presence of B-symptoms, and there was no correlation with any other clinical or laboratory parameter. Elevations of the respective cytokines might be a means to maintain normal blood cell counts in the respective patients with HD.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik I, University of the Saarland, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gause
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keymis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schobert
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pfreundschuh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000032:analysis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D007377:Interleukin-3; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor