title: Nuclear factor kB activity in patients with acute severe cholangitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the NF-kB activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with acute cholangitis of severe type (ACST) and correlate the degree of NF-kB activation with severity of biliary tract infection and clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with ACST were divided into survivor group (13 cases) and nonsurvivor group (7 cases). Other ten patients undergoing elective gastrectomy or inguinal hernia repair were selected as control group. Peripheral blood samples were taken 24 hours postoperatively. PBMC were separated by density gradient centrifugation, then nuclear proteins were isolated from PBMC, and Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) used determined. The results were quantified by scanning densitometer of a Bio-Image Analysis System and expressed as relative optical density (ROD). The levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 in the plasma of patients with ACST and healthy control subjects were determined by using an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NF-kB activity was 5.02 +/- 1.03 in nonsurvivor group, 2.98 +/- 0.51 in survivor group and 1.06 +/- 0.34 in control group. There were statistical differences in three groups (P<0.05). The levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in plasma were (498 +/- 53)ng.L(-1)and (587 +/- 64)ng.L(-1)in nonsurvivor group, (284 +/- 32)ng.L(-1) and (318 +/- 49)ng.L(-1)in survivor group and (89 +/- 11)ng.L(-1) and (102 +/-13)ng.L(-1)in control group. All patients with ACST had increased levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6, which were many-fold greater than those of control group, and there was an evidence of significantly higher levels in those of nonsurvivor group than that in survivor group (P<0.05). The levels of IL-10 in plasma were (378+/-32)ng.L(-1), (384+/-37)ng.L(-1) and (68+/-11)ng.L(-1) in three groups, respectively. All patients had also increased levels of IL-10 when compared with control group (P<0.05), but the IL-10 levels were not significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NF-kB activity in PBMC in patients with ACST increases markedly and the degree of NF-kB activation is correlated with severity of biliary tract infection and clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second College of Clinical Medicine & the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing University of Medical Science, 74 Linjiang Road, Central District, Chongqing 400010, China. gongjianping11@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Chong-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chuan-Xin
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sheng-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xu-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10