Asunto(s)
Enfermedades Autoinmunes/genética , Interferón Tipo I/sangre , Enfermedades Pulmonares Intersticiales/genética , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Enfermedades Cutáneas Vasculares/genética , Adolescente , Enfermedades Autoinmunes/sangre , Humanos , Enfermedades Pulmonares Intersticiales/sangre , Masculino , Enfermedades Cutáneas Vasculares/sangreRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a multipotent peptide which contributes to epithelial development, inhibition of gastric acid secretion, acceleration of wound healing, and promotion of angiogenesis. The aim of this study is to evaluate serum EGF concentrations in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, with regard to disease and patients' characteristics. METHODS: EGF determination was performed by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fifty-two patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 59 with Crohn's disease (CD), and 55 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. RESULTS: Mean ( ± SEM) serum EGF levels were 217.2 ( ± 30.40) pg/mL in UC patients, 324.6 ( ± 37.29) pg/mL in CD patients, and 453.1 ( ± 39.44) pg/mL in HC. Serum EGF levels were significantly lower in UC and CD patients compared to HC (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0199, respectively). Lower serum EGF levels were observed in UC compared to CD patients (P = 0.0277). Extent of the disease was found to affect serum EGF levels in UC, demonstrating significant reduction in patients with left-sided colitis and pancolitis in comparison with those with proctitis (P = 0.0190 and P = 0.0024, respectively). EGF concentration was not influenced by other characteristics of patients and disease. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly, lower levels of serum EGF are observed in IBD patients compared to HC, while disease extent plays a key role in regulation of serum EGF in UC. Downregulation of serum EGF may be correlated with different patterns of bowel inflammation, epithelial development, and wound healing in IBD.
Asunto(s)
Colitis Ulcerosa/sangre , Enfermedad de Crohn/sangre , Factor de Crecimiento Epidérmico/sangre , Mucosa Intestinal/patología , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Biomarcadores , Colitis Ulcerosa/patología , Enfermedad de Crohn/patología , Regulación hacia Abajo , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Tracto Gastrointestinal/patología , Grecia , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibroproliferative disorder. Cytokines contribute an important but yet undefined role to its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to compare serum levels of cytokines involved in Th-1 and Th-2 immunity, such as interleukins (IL) IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-12 (p40) in patients with IPF and healthy volunteers. Twenty patients with IPF and 40 healthy controls (HC) participated. METHODS: Cytokines were assessed by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Median values of serum IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 (p40) were higher in the IPF than the control group: IPF group: 1.05 U/ml, 12.55, 10.13, 44.17 pg/ml; control group: 0.05 U/ml, 6.91, 0.75, 4.51 pg/ml, respectively (P<0.05). IFN-gamma serum levels were lower in the IPF (0.19 pg/ml) than in the control group (0.49 pg/ml). IL-4 values did not differ in a statistically significant way among the groups: 8.40 pg/ml in the IPF group, and 7.46 pg/ml in the control group (P>0.05). IL-4 positively correlated to fast expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1%) and forced vital capacity (FVC%), while IL-8 negatively correlated to the respective values (P<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: IL-2, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 (p40) were found to be elevated in the sera of patients with IPF. IFN-gamma was found to be decreased in the sera of patients with IPF.