title: Serum concentrations of HGF and IL-8 in patients with active Graves' orbitopathy before and after methylprednisolone therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, and orbitopathy is the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease. The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to evaluate the serum concentration of HGF and IL-8 in the blood of newly diagnosed Graves' disease patients with the first episode of active GO and healthy controls; (2) to estimate the influence of the thyroid function (euthyreosis vs. hyperthyreosis) on HGF and IL-8 blood levels in patients with active GO; (3) to evaluate the influence of intravenous (i.v.) methylprednisolone (MP) pulse therapy and additional oral MP treatment on HGF and IL-8 blood levels in patients with active GO.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine Graves' disease patients with the first episode of clinically active GO (Group A) were enrolled in the study. To estimate the influence of the thyroid function on serum concentrations of the studied proangiogenic factors, Group A was divided into Group A I (n = 18) in euthyroid and Group A II (n = 21) in hyperthyroid stage of Graves' disease in moderate-to-severe stage of GO. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers age- and sex-matched to the GO group. Concentrations of the studied proangiogenic factors in serum samples were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before (Group A) and after (Group A1) intensive pulse i.v.MP treatment and 1 month after the end of additional oral MP treatment (Group A2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant increase in serum concentrations of studied factors in the GO group before immunosuppressive therapy when compared with the control group and decrease after i.v.MP treatment. One month after the end of additional oral MP treatment (Group A2), serum concentrations of HGF and IL-8 still decreased and no significant difference was observed in HGF and IL-8 concentrations when compared with the control group. We did not find the difference in serum concentration of the studied proangiogenic factors between patients in euthyroid and hyperthyroid stage of Graves' disease before MP therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum HGF and IL-8 concentrations are elevated in Graves' disease patients with active Graves' orbitopathy as compared to the healthy control group. Successful management of active Graves' orbitopathy with glucocorticoids is associated with a decrease in HGF and IL-8 serum concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, pl. Traugutta 2, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland. nowak-mar@wp.pl.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, pl. Traugutta 2, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Siemińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karpe
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, pl. Traugutta 2, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marek
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kos-Kudła
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, pl. Traugutta 2, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kajdaniuk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: C066855:HGF protein, human; D016209:Interleukin-8; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Graves’ orbitopathy; Hepatocyte growth factor; Interleukin-8; Methylprednisolone treatment