Serum proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules in ulcerative colitis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to define the correlation between serum markers, such as proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules, and disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC).


METHODS
Nineteen patients with UC treated in our hospital from April 2003 to June 2004, were enrolled into this study. We measured serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) from a blood sample. We investigated the correlation between these cytokine molecules and clinical activity.


RESULTS
Serum levels of IL-6 after treatment were significantly decreased proportionately as disease activity improved. Serum levels of IL-8 also significantly correlated with disease activity. On the other hand, serum levels of TNF-alpha were within the normal range in most of cases despite being in the active phase. There were also no significant differences between before and after treatment in serum levels of ICAM-1 or VCAM-1.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IL-6 and IL-8 significantly reflected disease activity in patients with UC.
Umehara
Yasushi
Y
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan.
Kudo
Masatoshi
M
Nakaoka
Ryosuke
R
Kawasaki
Toshihiko
T
Shiomi
Mikio
M
D000328:Adult; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1