title: Serum levels of interleukin-8 as a marker of disease activity in patients with chronic sarcoidosis.
abstract: We determined the serum concentration of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in patients with chronic sarcoidosis and assessed its value as a marker of disease activity. The serum concentrations of IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured by a colorimetric assay in 16 patients with chronic sarcoidosis. Thirteen of the 16 patients with chronic sarcoidosis showed a serum IL-8 concentration higher than the normal range. The mean (+/- S. E.) serum IL-8 concentration in patients with active sarcoidosis (n = 6) was 18.7 +/- 1.3 pg/mL and that in patients with inactive sarcoidosis (n = 10) was 8.0 +/- 1.1 pg/mL; the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002). An overall positive correlation between serum IL-8 concentration and serum ACE activity was apparent; however, only four of the 16 patients with sarcoidosis had a serum ACE activity greater than the normal range. TNF-alpha was detected in the serum of only two patients. The serum concentration of IL-8 may prove a useful marker for monitoring disease activity in sarcoidosis, especially in the chronic stage.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A