title: Determination of intracellular cytokines produced by Th1 and Th2 cells using flow cytometry in patients with brucellosis.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate intracellular interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in pre- and post-treatment periods of brucellosis patients and to determine the relationship between these parameters and patients' clinical findings. Twenty-five patients diagnosed as brucellosis and 11 aged-matched healthy volunteers were included in the study. CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes levels were significantly lower in patients with brucellosis as compared to the control group. CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes and CD3+IFN-gamma+ levels were increased in brucellosis patients compared with the control group. CD4+IFN-gamma+ and CD4+IL-4+ levels were no different between patients and healthy individuals. CD3+IL-4+ levels decreased in patients compared with healthy controls. Pre-treatment CD3+IFN-gamma+ levels dramatically increased in patients responsive to management compared with the unresponsive ones. In responsive cases, CD3+IFN-gamma+ levels decreased statistically after the treatment while in unresponsive cases no meaningful change was observed with respect to treatment. Adding IFN-gamma to the treatment for improving the depleted levels of IFN-gamma can be beneficial in patients with brucellosis who shows a tendency to chronicity or patients who do not respond to the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat Medical Center, Firat University, 23119 Elazig, Turkey. handanakbulut@yahoo.com
authors.forename: H Handan
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Akbulut
authors.forename: S Sirri
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma