Serum interleukin-8 levels in thalassemia intermedia.
In this study we determined serum IL-8 levels in 18 untransfused patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia and in 14 subjects affected by HbH disease. As reported in polytransfused homozygous beta-thalassemia, untransfused beta-thalassemia and HbH disease show significantly (p < 0.005) higher serum IL-8 levels than normal controls. Our data suggests that there could be an intrinsic cause for the IL-8 increase in thalassemia intermedia. We think than the hyperactivity of thalassemic macrophages related to chronic hemolysis is the main cause for the increment in cytokines, such as IL-8, found in thalassemic syndromes.
Dore
F
F
Istituto di Ematologia, Università di Sassari, Italy.
Bonfigli
S
S
Pardini
S
S
Longinotti
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood*
D016207:Cytokines; D016209:Interleukin-8