title: Blister fluid cytokines in cutaneous inflammatory bullous disorders.
abstract: Cytokines are important regulators of immune and inflammatory reactions in the skin, and may contribute to inflammatory blister induction. We examined the profiles of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in fluid of spontaneous blisters in the immune-based inflammatory disorders bullous pemphigoid (8 patients), allergic contact dermatitis (5 patients) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (5 patients). These were compared with levels in 9 patients with burns, i.e. inflammatory blisters of non-immune aetiology, and 4 patients with blisters of physical origin. Very high levels of IL-6 were found in bullous pemphigoid and toxic epidermal necrolysis (p<0.001) compared with non-inflammatory and burn blisters. TNF-alpha levels were high in bullous pemphigoid and burns, but undetectable in non-inflammatory blisters. The pattern in bullous pemphigoid (very high IL-6, high TNF-alpha) differed substantially from toxic epidermal necrolysis (very high IL-6, low TNF-alpha), while burns and allergic contact dermatitis showed lesser elevation of both cytokines. Hence, differences in cytokine profiles were identified, although the relevance to underlying pathomechanisms is uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Hashim
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Friedmann
mesh_terms: D001768:Blister / Q000378:metabolism*; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha