title: Plasma interleukin-1beta, -6, -8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha as highly informative markers of pelvic inflammatory disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of proinflammatory cytokines in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is unclear. We therefore determined whether plasma proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were useful plasma markers in PID patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiplex bead array analysis was used to measure the plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines in 50 healthy controls as well as in 41 PID patients before and after routine protocol treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha were significantly elevated in PID patients before antibiotic treatment than after treatment. However, IL-8 was not significantly different between healthy controls and PID patients. The relative increase in ratio of IL-6 was significantly correlated with white blood cell count (r=0.448, p=0.003), neutrophil count (r=0.472, p=0.002) and C-reactive protein level (r=0.412, p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha may play an important role in the pathogenesis of PID. These biomarkers, particularly IL-6, could be useful adjuncts for the clinical diagnosis of PID.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Lee's General Hospital, Ta-Chia, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shun-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsiu-Ting
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hsiu-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Chih-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yi-Torng
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Tee
authors.forename: Yi-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming-Tsang
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ming-Chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Po-Hui
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shun-Fa
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha