title: Cytokines profile in serum of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is changed by LDL-apheresis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of LDL-apheresis (LDLa) with dextran sulphate on plasma cytokines in 6 homozygous familial hypercholesterolemic (HozFH) patients, were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma IL-1α; IL-1ra; IL-4; IL-6; IL-10; IL-12(p40); IL-12(p70); TNF-α, sTNF-R, VEGF, VEGF-R1, E-Selectin (ESEL), and P-Selectin (PSEL) concentrations were measured before and after LDLa on three consecutive sessions for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TNF-α was significantly reduced (-60%; P=0.01), while TNF-R was only slightly increased (+15%), although not significantly. Plasma VEGF was significantly reduced (-57%; P=1.87301E-05), while VEGF-R1 was significantly increased (+56%; P=0.05). ESEL and PSEL were reduced but not to a statistically significant extent (-19%, -15%, respectively). IL-1α level was dramatically reduced (-87%; P=0.0001). IL-1ra concentration was only slightly increased in plasma, but not significantly. IL-4 and IL-10 levels were significantly reduced in plasma after apheresis (-50%; P=0.03, and -55%; P=0.004, respectively). On the contrary, IL-6 concentration showed a slight decrease (-8%). Plasma IL-12p40 was significantly increased (+47%; P=0.0004). On the other hand, IL-12p70 was reduced, but the difference (-31%) was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma cytokines imbalance is associated with inflammation and atherogenesis. In this study LDLa changed several circulating cytokines inducing anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic changes in cytokines plasma profile in HozFH patients with/without pre-existing angiographically demonstrated coronary heart disease (CHD) and aortic valvular disease (AVD).
authors.affiliation: Extracorporeal Therapeutic Techniques Unit, Department of Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy. cstefanutti@alice.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanutti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vivenzio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Giacomo
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferraro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001781:Blood Component Removal; D002648:Child; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D016207:Cytokines; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1