title: Plasma interleukin-18 levels in chronic renal failure and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Based on associations of interleukin (IL)-18 with chronic inflammation, we investigated IL-18, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma was evaluated by ELISA methodology in 15 healthy controls, 27 CRF and 15 CAPD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma IL-18 levels in CRF (572.5 +/- 41.9 pg/ml) or CAPD (479.2 +/- 47.4 pg/ml) were significantly higher than normal (263.6 +/- 20.0 pg/ml), but there was no difference in IL-18 between CRF and CAPD patients. The IL-18 concentration negatively correlated with creatinine clearance (Ccr). However, the duration of dialysis, normalized protein nitrogen appearance, weekly Ccr, and Kt/V(urea) were not correlated with plasma IL-18 in CAPD. The plasma IL-18 concentration was positively correlated with TNF-alpha but not with IL-6 in renal failure patients with or without CAPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uremia is the principal origin of increased plasma IL-18 in these patients. Increased IL-18 levels may be associated with Th1 differentiation and elevated TNF-alpha.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Kang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Shih-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Mei-Fen
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Yu-Sen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Tai-I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Shing-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kuan-Yu
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Tun-Jun
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Bor-Shen
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020382:Interleukin-18; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha