title: Reduced IL-2 but elevated IL-4, IL-6, and IgE serum levels in patients with cerebral infarction during the acute stage.
abstract: Cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) may play an important role in functioning as intercellular signals that orchestrate the response to injury. Whether this is a cause or result of the brain disease process is uncertain. We investigated IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IgE in the sera of 38 patients with cerebral infarction during the acute stage and 10 normal controls using an originally devised sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that serum levels of IL-2 derived from T helper 1 (Th1) cells were slightly reduced in patients with cerebral infarction, whereas serum levels of IL-4 and IL-6 derived from Th2 cells were elevated significantly. IL-4 induces synthesis of IgE in human B cells. Endogenous IL-6 plays an obligatory role in IL-4-dependent human IgE synthesis. We observed that serum IgE levels were elevated significantly in patients with cerebral infarction. However, serum IFN-gamma levels were not elevated significantly in cerebral infarction patients. These findings suggest that elevated IL-4, IL-6, and IgE levels in the human serum may be an important factor in cerebral infarction during the acute stage. Decrease of IL-2 levels in the serum of patients with cerebral infarction may be a regulatory mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Center of Oriental Medicinal Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan-city, Chonbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma