ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to investigate the serum concentration of cytokines (interleukin 6 [IL-6] and IL-10) in patients before and after lung transplantation (LTx). The studied groups consisted of 14 patients (9 men and 5 women aged 47.7 ± 11.4; body mass index [BMI] 21.9 ± 2.3) followed for up to 6 months after LTx and 29 patients (15 men and 14 women, age 49.2 ± 9.4; BMI 23.1 ± 3.7) who were considered for LTx. The study population consisted of patients with idiopathic lung disease (ILD; 8 vs 17) and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; 6 vs 12). Cytokine serum levels were assessed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Significantly lower levels of IL-10 were observed in the group of patients considered for LTx compared to those in recipients (1.8 ± 0.99 vs 5.1 ± 1.44; P = .000726). Significantly lower levels of IL-10 were observed in the group of patients with ILD considered for LTx compared to recipients (1.8 ± 0.95 vs 3.4 ± 1.16; P = .005984). There were no differences in levels of IL-10 in the group of patients with COPD. There were no differences in levels of IL-6 when the studied groups were compared. The present results introduce the cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 in patients before and after LTx. The procedure of LTx influenced increasing of plasma concentration of IL-10. Immunosuppressive drugs may affect IL-10 serum levels. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether analyzed cytokines could be used as biomarkers of clinical status in patients before and after LTx.