Increased serum levels of interleukin-8 in polyarteritis nodosa and Behçet's disease

• Published in: Clinical rheumatology Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 203 - 205
• Main Authors: Freire, Alzírton de Lira, Bertolo, Manoel Barros, de Pinho, Jr, Antônio José, Samara, Adil Muhib, Fernandes, Sandra Regina Muchinechi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01.06.2004
• Subjects: Adult; Behcet Syndrome - blood; Behcet Syndrome - immunology; Disease; Enzymes; Female; Humans; Interleukin-8 - blood; Interleukin-8 - immunology; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; Pathogenesis; Polyarteritis Nodosa - blood; Polyarteritis Nodosa - immunology; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 0770-3198; 1434-9949
• DOI: 10.1007/s10067-003-0851-x

The pathogenesis of Behçet's disease (BD) and polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is not yet well established. Endothelial cells have been shown to express chemokines that are involved in inflammatory processes. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a potent chemoattractant and activator of neutrophils. We evaluated serum IL-8 levels in patients with PAN and BD. We measured serum IL-8 levels in 21 patients with BD and 16 with PAN. Sera from 30 age-matched healthy blood donors were used as normal controls. Serum IL-8 levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mean serum IL-8 level of the active BD (1522.31 pg/ml) and that of the active PAN (654.8 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that of the normal controls (40.39 pg/ml, P <0.05). There was no difference in mean serum IL-8 levels between patients with inactive disease and normal controls. We found higher serum levels of IL-8 in those patients with more severe disease. These results suggest that IL-8 may play a role in the pathogenesis of PAN and/or BD. Our study also suggests a possible relation between serum IL-8 levels and the severity of these diseases.