title: Relationship between levels of IFNγ, TNFα, and TGFβ and pruritus in sulfur mustard-exposed veterans.
abstract: One of the foremost negative effects of sulfur mustard (SM) is chronic pruritus, which affects the quality-of-life. In the present study, pruritus was assessed in relation with inflammatory factors in the blood. Seventy-two blood samples were collected from SM-injured veterans of the Iran-Iraq War (Case Group; n = 36) and non-exposed patients (Control Group; n = 36) suffering from skin pruritus. Pruritus severity in all subjects was assessed, as were levels of IFNγ, TGFβ, and TNFα. The results indicated that total pruritus severity did not significantly differ between the two groups. While WBC counts in Control patients were significantly higher than among the exposed veterans, there were no significant differences in levels of any specific WBC sub-classes. Levels of serum IFNγ and TGFβ in the control subjects were significantly greater than those in the exposed veterans. In contrast, serum TNFα in the SM-exposed group appeared to be in the normal range, albeit significantly higher than that of the control group. A positive correlation between pruritus and each of the evaluated cytokines was noted in the Case Group. As for the non-SM-exposed veterans, correlations were significant only in the cases of IFNγ (stimulated) and TGFβ. The results of the present study suggested that there might be a relationship between cytokine alterations and pruritus in SM-exposed veterans. Based on these studies, designing of new treatments to modulate blood levels of mediators might be helpful to decrease the problem of SM-induced pruritus, thereby improving the quality-of-life in exposed veterans.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Molla-Sadra Ave., Vanak Sq., Tehran, Iran. yunespanahi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yunes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Panahi
authors.forename: Seyyed Masoud
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Davoudi
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beiraghdar
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saadat
authors.forename: Amirhossein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahebkar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000633:toxicity*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D009151:Mustard Gas