title: An unexpected increase in circulating IFN-gamma by cyclosporin A in atopic patients: a discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo events.
abstract: Defective interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production has been suggested to be relevant to immunologic abnormalities observed in atopic dermatitis (AD). We describe two patients with severe AD who were treated with oral cyclosporin A (Cy-A) and in whom the serum levels of IL-1 alpha, IFN-gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were sequentially measured. Cy-A, known to inhibit IFN-gamma production in vitro, caused a rapid rise in serum IFN-gamma, but not Il-1 alpha and TNF alpha, levels in the patients and the IFN-gamma levels appeared to be inversely related to the therapeutic efficacy. The observed increase in serum IFN-gamma levels during Cy-A therapy may have contributed to a marked clinical improvement of the AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiohara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sagawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagashima
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016572:Cyclosporine