Interleukin-8 in Takayasu's arteritis: plasma levels and relationship with disease activity.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the plasma levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in Takayasu's arteritis (TA) and their relationship with disease activity.


METHODS
IL-8 levels were detected by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the plasma of 53 TA patients, 25 age/sex-matched healthy controls and of 10 serially followed up active TA patients on immunosuppressive therapy.


RESULTS
Significantly increased levels of IL-8 were observed in TA patients (26.32 +/- 48.96 pg/ml) compared to controls (6.0 +/- 2.45 pg/ml) (p = 0.0006) and in patients with active TA (55.0 +/- 71.43 pg/ml) compared to those with an inactive disease (8.94 +/- 6.35 pg/ml) (p = 0.0001). The increased levels of the chemokine were present in 37% (20/53) of the patients compared to 8% (2/25) of the controls (p < 0.01) and in 80% (16/20) of patients with active TA compared to 12% (4/33) of those with an inactive disease (p < 0.0001). In the follow-up study, the plasma levels of IL-8 were normalized in 6/10 of the patients and the disease in 5 of these 6 patients was also observed to undergo remission.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that IL-8 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of TA.
Tripathy
N K
NK
Department of Immunology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Sinha
N
N
Nityanand
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011239:Prednisolone; D001379:Azathioprine