title: LPS-stimulated production of TNF-alpha by peripheral blood monocytes in patients with Behcet's disease.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is believed to play a significant role in disease pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD). High serum levels of TNF-alpha were repeatedly reported in patients with active BD and anti-TNF agents are effective in its treatment. The pathophysiology of TNF-alpha in BD is still unknown and conflicting results regarding TNF-alpha overproduction by peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) from patients with BD were reported. The aim of the study is to compare stimulated production of TNF-alpha by PBM of BD patients with that of healthy volunteers (HV) and to examine correlations between the ability of PBM to produce TNF-alpha and organ/system involvement in patients with BD. Eighteen patients with BD (mean age 38.4+/-12.4 years, 12 males) gave informed consent and completed the European BD Current Activity Form. The PBM were separated and treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) overnight. TNF-alpha levels in the supernatants were assayed by ELISA and values were expressed in terms of cell protein contents. The control group included 15 HV (mean age 34.2+/-9.9 years, seven males). The mean production of TNF-alpha/cell protein (ng/mg) and in-group dispersion were similar in both groups (p=0.98). In the subgroup analysis, TNF-alpha production by PBM in BD patients who reported "bad" or "very bad" global well-being over the last month (n=4) was higher compared to other patients with better self-rating (p=0.03). PBM of BD patients in the present study did not overproduce TNF-alpha upon stimulation with LPS. However, BD patients with a higher TNF-alpha-producing capacity had worse sense of well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine A, Bnai Zion Medical Center, P.O. Box 4940, Technion, Haifa 31048, Israel. gslobodin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gleb
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slobodin
authors.forename: Yazeed
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toukan
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozenbaum
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boulman
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pavlotzky
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kessel
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toubi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha