Cytokine mRNA expression patterns in the disease course of female adolescents with anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious eating disorder characterized by extreme weight loss and abnormalities of the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Cytokines have been discussed to be involved in the pathomechanisms underlying cachexia. Therefore our study aimed at examining the mRNA expression pattern of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in whole blood of 11 female AN patients and 10 age and sex matched normal weight control subjects using a sensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. We found a significant increase in TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA expression in anorectic patients at admission (mean BMI 14.8 +/- 1.3) when compared to controls. During follow-up, the expression of TNF-alpha mRNA remained significantly higher in formerly anorectic patients (mean BMI 18.7 +/- 0.5) while IL-6 mRNA expression decreased. We interpret our results as suggesting that TNF-alpha may contribute to metabolic abnormalities in anorexia nervosa even after goal BMI is achieved.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. Kahl.K@psychiatry.mu-luibeck.de
Kai G
KG
Kahl
Nils
N
Kruse
Peter
P
Rieckmann
Martin H
MH
Schmidt
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma