title: Serum interleukin-16 and RANTES during treatment of Graves' orbitopathy with corticosteroids and teleradiotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the usefulness of circulating IL-16 and RANTES measurements as markers of Graves' orbitopathy (GO) activity and to estimate the role of these cytokines in GO pathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  42 individuals were divided into four groups: Group 1 comprised 15 euthyroid patients with clinical symptoms of GO who underwent corticosteroid therapy consisting of intravenous infusions of methylprednisolone (MP) and teleradiotherapy (TR); Group 2 comprised ten patients with hyperthyroid GD (Gtx); Group 3 comprised ten patients with GD in euthyreosis (Geu); and Group 4 comprised seven healthy volunteers age- and sex-matched to Groups 1-3. Serum samples were collected 24 hours before the first dose of MP, 24 hours after the first dose of MP, before TR, and at the end of therapy. Serum IL-16 and RANTES were determined by ELISA and TSH-Rab by RIA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-16 levels in patients with GO were significantly elevated at the end of therapy: 346 pg/mL (257-538) compared to IL-16 values before treatment: 250 ng/mL (211-337) and to the control group. RANTES serum concentrations did not significantly differ between studied groups, and immunosuppressive treatment did not influence its level. A negative correlation between TSH-Rab and RANTES was found in all studied groups (R = -0.32, p 〈 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggests that IL-16 may exert an immunoregulatory effect in Graves' orbitopathy. Serum measurements of both IL-16 and RANTES may be clinically useful; however, establishing their place in the diagnostics and treatment monitoring of GO needs further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Skłodowskiej-Curie 24 A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland. mysjan@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mysliwiec
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palyga
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikolajuk
authors.forename: Aldona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kowalska
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D019410:Interleukin-16; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D008775:Methylprednisolone