title: Plasma interleukin-10 and interleukin-12 levels in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.
abstract: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of fever, polyserositis and arthritis. A vast array of cytokines were analysed in these patients, however, little is known about the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-12. Plasma IL-12 and IL-10 were measured in 24 patients with FMF (19 active, 5 inactive) and 18 healthy controls by ELISA. From 15 active patients blood was also drawn in attack-free period. Mean plasma IL-12 levels of the FMF patients (mean +/- SEM, 6.84+/-3.59 pg/ml) were higher than the controls (0.13+/-0.09 pg/ml, P < 0.001). Mean IL-12 levels of active (7.02+/-5.23 pg/ml) and inactive patients (6.89+/-5.61 pg/ml) were comparable, and they were higher compared to controls (P < or = 0.001). Mean plasma IL-10 levels of the total FMF patients (3.01+/-1.53 pg/ml) were also higher than the controls (P = 0.024). Patients had higher IL-10 levels in attacks (3.83+/-2.02 pg/ml) compared to levels when they were in remission (1.86+/-1.59 pg/ml, P = 0.046). Significantly elevated IL-12 levels in FMF patients regardless of activity may suggest the presence of a pro-inflammatory state also in the inactive period of FMF. Significant increase in IL-10 levels in FMF group may point to the compensatory suppression of inflammation in active periods of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology-Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Balcali, PO Box (PK) 5, 01330 Adana, Turkey. eerken@cu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Eren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erken
authors.forename: Huseyin T E
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunesacar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D002097:C-Reactive Protein