title: Whole body hyperthermia treatment increases interleukin 10 and toll-like receptor 4 expression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exposure to increased environmental temperatures is commonly used as a non-pharmacological treatment modality in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We aimed to investigate systemic immunological effects of moderate whole body hyperthermia in patients with AS compared to healthy control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy control subjects and six AS patients underwent whole body hyperthermia treatment with 38.7-39 °C body core temperature over 60 min. Numbers of polymorphonuclear leucocytes and lymphocyte subsets, plasma concentrations of several acute phase reactants and cytokines, and gene expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and heat shock protein beta 1 (HSPB1) were determined during and up to 24 h after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLR-4, IL-10 and HSPB1 gene expression increased significantly up to 3 h post treatment, with an earlier, higher and more pronounced increase of IL-10 in patients with AS. An increase of natural killer cells and CD8+ T lymphocytes was noted during active heating, with a subsequent decrease up to 2 h after treatment. CD4+ T lymphocytes showed a short increase during active treatment in AS patients, while decreasing immediately after start of treatment in control subjects. Neutrophil granulocytes increased significantly up to 3 h after treatment, monocytes and B lymphocytes remained unchanged. Likewise, no significant changes were found concerning systemic cytokine concentrations and acute phase reactants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the concept of systemic immunological effects of moderate whole body hyperthermia in patients with AS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University , Graz .
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zauner
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quehenberger
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dejaco
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stradner
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stojakovic
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rinner
authors.forename: Winfried B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Graninger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4
keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; cytokines; hyperthermia; physiotherapy