Analysis of sFas IL-6 levels in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: Pre- or poststeroid pulse treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether serum levels of soluble Fas (sFas) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) could function as an index of the efficacy of steroid pulse treatment, we examined the serum level of these proteins before and after steroid pulse treatment in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients.


METHODS
We gathered the blood of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients before or after steroid pulse treatment, obtained serum with a centrifuge, and measured the serum levels of sFas and IL-6 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
There was no difference in serum IL-6 value between pre- and poststeroid pulse treatment. Serum sFas value was significantly decreased in both pre- and poststeroid pulse treatment. Furthermore, there was a recognizable improvement in the degree of the extraocular muscle thickening after treatment in cases in whom the serum sFas value was lower than 3 ng/ml prior to the beginning of the therapy. In patients who had a serum sFas value of more than 3 ng/ml, there was no improvement in the degree of thickening of the extraocular muscle.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum level of sFas is an accurate index of the outcome of steroid pulse treatment in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and may become a useful index to gauge the status of convalescence.
Maeda
Kimihito
K
Department of Ophthalmology, Sapporo Medical University, School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Ohara
Yuichiro
Y
Hashimoto
Masato
M
Ohguro
Hiroshi
H