title: Detection of circulating endogenous interleukin-3 in extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: Recent data suggest that activated immune cells and their products are involved in the initiation and progression of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). To test whether the production of endogenous interleukin-3 (IL-3), a product of activated immune cells, might be an indicator of disease activity in GVHD, we analysed sera of 61 bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients for IL-3 levels by using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Measurable levels (greater than 25 pg/ml) of endogenous IL-3 were detected in a significant subgroup (5/16 patients, 31.25%) of allograft recipients suffering from extensive chronic GVHD, but not in patients with limited chronic GVHD (n = 6) or in those without signs of chronic GVHD (n = 17). In IL-3 positive patients, IL-3 levels were not associated with pathologic conditions (such as infectious disease) other than GVHD. IL-3 levels were undetectable in disease-free phases preceding severe chronic GVHD. Lower levels of IL-3 were measured in chronic GVHD patients during extensive disease while on high dose steroid medication compared with before and/or after (p less than 0.02). IL-3 was also detected in a small group (2/17) of patients suffering from acute GVHD. IL-3 could neither be detected in syngeneic (n = 3) nor autologous (n = 7) BMT recipients nor in the vast majority (99/100) of healthy controls. Together, measurable amounts of IL-3 are produced in a significant subgroup of patients suffering from extensive chronic GVHD.
authors.affiliation: I. Medical Department, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valent
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Sillaber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scherrer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Geissler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalhs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kundi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papoian
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bettelheim
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hinterberger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015994:Incidence; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007377:Interleukin-3