Lupus patients with pulmonary involvement have a pro-inflammatory cytokines profile.
OBJECTIVE
The literature on cytokine response in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is confusing. It is possible that different disease phenotypes have different cytokine profiles. Our aim was to examine the levels of selected pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in SLE patients with and without pulmonary involvement.


METHODS
Patients with SLE were interviewed and were subjected to the pulmonary function test and high-resolution computed tomography studies. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, Il-12, interferon (IFN) gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Forty-nine of the 61 SLE patients had pulmonary involvement. Median levels of IL-8, IFNgamma, and TNFalpha were significantly higher in the pulmonary group as compared to the non-pulmonary group (p = 0.027, 0.027 and 0.002, respectively). Ratios of pro-inflammatory cytokines to anti-inflammatory cytokines were higher in the pulmonary group as compared to the non-pulmonary group as well as in the pulmonary restrictive subgroup compared to the obstructive subgroup.


CONCLUSIONS
Lupus patients with pulmonary involvement have a stronger pro-inflammatory cytokine bias than those without pulmonary involvement.
Al-Mutairi
Sana
S
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait. san.mut@hsc.edu.kw
Al-Awadhi
Adel
A
Raghupathy
Raj
R
Al-Khawari
Hanaa
H
Sada
Prio
P
Al-Herz
Adeebah
A
Rawoot
Parvez
P
D000328:Adult; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D010993:Plethysmography, Whole Body; D013147:Spirometry; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma