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European Cytokine Network

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Altered levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in sickle cell disease patients during vaso-occlusive crises and the steady state condition Volume 24, numéro 1, March 2013

Auteurs
Thalassemia & Hemoglobinopathy research center, Ahvaz Joundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, Tehran, Iran, Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran, Great oil hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, Immunology Department, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Science, Hamadan, Iran

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and TGF-β in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, and to compare the results during vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) or steady state (StSt) conditions. Methods: 54 SCD patients (37HbSS and 17Sβ +Thal) were enrolled in the study and evaluated in two groups as follows; group A consisted of 39 VOC patients and group B comprised 15 StSt patients. Nineteen healthy volunteers were included as controls. Circulating levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17,TNF-α and TGF-β were measured using ELISA. Results: Patients in VOC showed higher mean levels of all cytokines than those found in steady-state patients, but this was only marginally significant for IL-8 levels (P = 0.08). Increased levels of TGF-β and IL-17 were found in StSt patients versus normal controls (P = 0.004 and P<0.0001 respectively). A positive correlation was observed between IL-8 and IL-17 in both groups of patients (P = 0.002 and P = 0.005 respectively). Decreased levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-17 were found in hydroxyurea-treated patients. Additionally, significantly higher levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were observed in hydroxyurea-treated and untreated patients than in controls respectively (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially IL-8 and IL-17, could be used as related markers for assessing disease severity, and consequently therapeutic intervention.