title: Pleural fluid cytokines correlate with tissue inflammatory expression in tuberculosis.
abstract: METHODS
  A tertiary care research centre in São Paolo, Brazil.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify interleukin (IL) 8, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) in pleural fluid from tuberculous patients, correlating its values with the histopathological patterns in pleural biopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytokines were quantified in patients with transudates secondary to congestive heart failure (n = 8) and exudates secondary to tuberculosis (TB; n = 39). In parietal pleural biopsies from TB patients, the histological patterns of the inflammatory response were quantified by morphometric analysis (stereological point-counting method).
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-8, TNF-alpha, VEGF and TGF-beta(1) levels were higher in TB than in transudates. A positive correlation existed between components of the fibrinoid exudative phase with pleural fluid IL-8 (R = 0.52, P = 0.004) and VEGF (R = 0.42, P = 0.0021) levels. A negative correlation existed between pleural fluid IL-8 (R = -0.37, P = 0.048) and VEGF (R = -0.44, P = 0.0015) levels with tissue components of fibroproliferation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high pleural levels of TNF-alpha, IL-8, VEGF and TGF-beta(1) suggest the involvement of these cytokines in the TB immunological response. The positive correlation between pleural fluid IL-8 and VEGF with the components of the acute exudative phase and the negative correlation between these cytokines with the fibroproliferative components suggest a temporary inflammatory response in the pleural space.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pleura, Pulmonary Division, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seiscento
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: M M P
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Acencio
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Capelozzi
authors.forename: R K B
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Antonangelo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines