title: [Role of interleukin-18 in pathogenesis of acute graft-versus-host disease].
abstract: To investigate the relationship between interleukin-18 (IL-18) and human acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), 26 patients undergoing allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT) were included in this study. IL-18 secreted by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before transplantation and during aGVHD. The results showed that grade I GVHD and grades III-IV GVHD developed in 10 and 5 cases, respectively. The levels in the supernatants of MNCs from patients with aGVHD were significantly higher than those in the cases without aGVHD. The levels of IL-18 were correlated with the severity of aGVHD. It is concluded that IL-18 plays an important role in the development of aGVHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Jian-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Cao-Bo
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Shu-Peng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Wei-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000502:physiology*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy*; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18