title: Evaluation of interleukin-10 levels in the plasma of patients with various stages of tuberculosis.
abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection remains one of the world's major causes of illness and mortality. A clear understanding of the host defense against Mtb is imperatively needed forthe control of this epidemic. When tuberculosis (TB) infection occurs, a variety of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines play a vital role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is one of the most important anti-inflammatory cytokines reported to suppress the protective immune response against tuberculosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of plasma IL-10 levels with various disease stages of TB and the possible effects of treatment on these levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 30 patients with active pulmonary TB and a control group of 21 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. The levels of IL-10 were measured before, during, and after treatment using commercially available enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 5.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the levels of IL-10 had significant differences between the TB and control groups (p<0.05). The patients with abnormal chest X-Ray findings had higher IL-10 levels when compared to patients with normal X-Rays (p=0.03). A subgroup of 18 patients were followed during the treatment and the mean plasma concentration of IL-10 in patients before therapy was higher than in patients at 3 months of therapy and in patients after 6 months of therapy (p=0.01). However, the IL-10 level remained significantly higher in patients at the end of treatment compared with controls. These findings could be used in follow-up as clinical biomarker of the success of tuberculosis therapy.
authors.affiliation: Cellular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco ; Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco ; Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Pacifique
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ndishimye
authors.affiliation: Cellular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Seghrouchni
authors.affiliation: Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; Leon Daniello Pneumology Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Bianka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Domokos
authors.affiliation: Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Soritau
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Abderrahim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadak
authors.affiliation: Leon Daniello Pneumology Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Homorodean
authors.affiliation: Cellular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Rajae El
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Aouada
authors.affiliation: Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; Leon Daniello Pneumology Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Carmen Monica
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pop
keywords: Cytokine; Interleukin-10; Tuberculosis; chest X-Ray; tuberculosis treatment