title: Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine profile in pediatric patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is evidence that patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a low degree of inflammation in the intestinal mucosa. The aim of the study was to evaluate the profile of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in plasma in Mexican pediatric patients with IBS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with IBS according to Rome III criteria for childhood and 15 healthy children, matched by age and sex, were included in the study. Plasma levels of tumoral necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukins 10 and 12 (IL-10, IL-12) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) were quantified and compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of IL-10 were lower in patients with IBS (86.07+21.3 pg/mL vs. 118.71+58.62 pg/mL: P=.045) and IL-12 levels were higher in patients with IBS compared to the control group of healthy children (1,204.2±585.9 pg/mL vs. 655.04±557.80 pg/mL; P=.011). The IL-10/IL-12 index was lower in patients with IBS (0.097±0.07 vs. 0.295±0.336; P=.025). Plasma concentration of TGF-β was higher in patients with IBS (545.67±337.69 pg/mL vs. 208.48±142.21 pg/mL; P=.001). There was no difference in plasma levels of TNF-α between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that children with IBS have a state of altered immune regulation. This is consistent with the theory of low-grade inflammatory state in these patients. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role played by these cytokines, specifically TGF-β in the pathogenesis of IBS.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Gastroenterología y Nutrición, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, SSA, México D.F., México. Electronic address: rovaf@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Frias
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Hígado Páncreas y Motilidad, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Reyes
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, SSA, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urbán-Reyes
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, SSA, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Velázquez-Guadarrama
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Fortoul-van der Goes
authors.affiliation: Dirección de Investigación, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, SSA, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reyes-López
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Gastroenterología y Nutrición, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, SSA, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consuelo-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Citocinas; Cytokines; Factor de crecimiento transformante beta; Irritable bowel syndrome; Pediatrics; Pediatría; Síndrome de intestino irritable; Transforming growth factor beta