Significant elevation of a Th2 cytokine, interleukin-10, in pelvic inflammatory disease.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the expressions and ratios of type 1 T helper cell (Th1) cytokines interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), as well as type 2 T helper cell (Th2) cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-5 (IL-5), interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) patients.


METHODS
The human cytokine LINCOplex multiplex bead array was used to measure the plasma levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in 50 healthy controls, as well as in 41 PID patients before and after routine protocol treatment.


RESULTS
Significantly increased expressions of Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma (p=0.004), as well as Th2 cytokine IL-5 (p=0.001), and dramatically increased IL-10 (p=0.0001), but significantly decreased expression of Th1 cytokine IL-2 (p=0.029) in PID patients were found after comparison to the control group. The ratio of IFN-gamma to IL-13 showed a significant increase, but the ratios of IFN-gamma to IL-10 and IL-2 to IL-10 was significantly decreased in PID patients before treatment compared to after treatment and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the imbalance and cross-regulation between Th1 and Th2 cytokines pathways is probably contributed to the mechanism of PID.
Chen
Kuo-Shuen
KS
Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Wang
Po-Hui
PH
Yang
Shun-Fa
SF
Lin
Ding-Bang
DB
Lin
Yi-Jiun
YJ
Kuo
Dong-Yih
DY
Lin
Long-Yau
LY
Wu
Ming-Tsang
MT
Lin
Chiao-Wen
CW
Lee
Sheuan
S
Chou
Ming-Chih
MC
Tsai
Hsiu-Ting
HT
Hsieh
Yih-Shou
YS
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma