title: Serum Cytokine Profile in Asian Indian Patients with Takayasu Arteritis and its Association with Disease Activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial inflammation Takayasu arteritis (TA) is an outcome of balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Comprehensive assessment of these cytokines is important for understanding pathogenesis and assessing disease activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines representing different T-helper cell pathway in serum samples of Asian Indian patients with TA and to assess their association with disease activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive Indian patients with TA were assayed for serum interferon-γ, interleukin-6, interleukin-23, interleukin-17, interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor- β levels at baseline and follow up visit. Patients were grouped into active and stable disease based on Indian Takyasu Arteritis clinical Activity Score-2010. Serum levels of these cytokines between active and stable disease and between baseline and follow up visits were compared by non-parametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 32 patients enrolled, 15 were classified as active while 17 as stable disease at baseline. IFN-γ levels were significantly higher in active disease than stable disease (p=0.0129) while other cytokines did not differ significantly between 2 groups. Serum levels of none of the cytokines changed significantly over 2 visits in both responders and non-responders. IL23 levels positively correlate with disease duration ((r=0.999; p<0.005). Modest correlation was observed between IFN-γ and IL23 levels at both baseline and follow up and between IFN-γ and IL-6 and CRP at follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFN-γ levels are raised in active disease in TA and correlates well with other biomarkers of disease activity and proinflammatory cytokines. There is also a direct correlation between Il-23 levels and disease duration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ruchika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jayakanthan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kabeerdoss
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Babu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: John Antony Jude
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories, Division of Gastro Intestinal Sciences Christian Medical College, Vellore- 632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Sudhir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babji
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Aswin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Lakshmanan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jeyaseelan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Visalakshi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jeyaseelan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Veeraraghavan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balaji
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Debashish
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Danda
keywords: Asian Indians; Biomarkers; Cytokines; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-6; Large vessel vasculitis; Takayasu arteritis