title: Fibrinogen and inflammatory cytokines in spontaneous sputum of sulfur-mustard-exposed civilians--Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study.
abstract: Sulfur mustard (SM) causes late complications in respiratory system of exposed individuals. In this preliminary study, the levels of IL-1α and β, TNF, IL-1Ra, IL-6 and fibrinogen in the spontaneous sputum of SM-exposed individuals were examined 20 years after exposure and the correlation with pulmonary function was tested. The participants were categorized into two major subgroups (hospitalized and non-hospitalized) based on the severity of the clinical complications immediately after exposure. Every participant was visited by a physician; the respiratory functions were checked using spirometry and were categorized as normal, mild, moderate or severe pulmonary complications. The levels of cytokines in the sputum and serum samples were measured using ELISA method. The mean values of TNF, IL-1α and IL-1β were 524.15, 115.15, 1951.33 pg/ml respectively, and the mean levels of IL-1Ra and IL-6 were 6410.52 and 124.44 pg/ml respectively; fibrinogen was 71.59 ng/ml and index of IL-Ra/IL-1β was 7.78. There was more TNF-α and IL-1β and less IL-1Ra and fibrinogen in the sputum of the hospitalized subgroup. The level of TNF-α and IL-1β also increased in moderate and severe pulmonary status comparing with the group with mild disorders, while fibrinogen was lower or decreased significantly in problematic patients. IL-1β and TNF showed positive correlation (r=0.5, and r=0.59, respectively); fibrinogen and IL1Ra/IL-1β have negative correlation with lung function according to the GOLD classification (r=-0.4, and r=-0.61, respectively). It is concluded that sputum cytokines and fibrinogen, reflect the degree of the severity of airway inflammation and the cytokine levels in the sputum might be completely different from the serum fluctuations.
authors: Immunoregulation Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; Department of Immunology, Shahed University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors: Roya
authors: R
authors: Yaraee
authors: Zuhair Mohammad
authors: ZM
authors: Hassan
authors: Shahryar
authors: S
authors: Pourfarzam
authors: Abbas
authors: A
authors: Rezaei
authors: Soghrat
authors: S
authors: Faghihzadeh
authors: Massoumeh
authors: M
authors: Ebtekar
authors: Mohammad-Reza
authors: MR
authors: Soroush
authors: Sussan K
authors: SK
authors: Ardestani
authors: Hadi
authors: H
authors: Kazemi
authors: Mahmoud
authors: M
authors: Mahmoudi
authors: Zeinab
authors: Z
authors: Ghazanfari
authors: Abbas
authors: A
authors: Foroutan
authors: Shohreh
authors: S
authors: Jalaie
authors: Tooba
authors: T
authors: Ghazanfari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000633:toxicity*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D005340:Fibrinogen; D009151:Mustard Gas
keywords: Cytokines; Pulmonary complications; Spirometry; Sputum; Sulfur mustard