Author/Authors :
Zhan, Mengling Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Xu, Benyong Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Zhao, Lan Department of Respiratory Medicine - Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital - Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Li, Bing Department of Respiratory Medicine - Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital - Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Xu, Liyun Department of Respiratory Medicine - Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital - Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Sun, Qiuhong Department of Respiratory Medicine - Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital - Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Zhang, Jun Division of Hematology Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation - Department of Internal Medicine - Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center - University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA , Zhang, Zhemin Department of Respiratory Medicine - Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital - Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China , Chu, Haiqing Department of Respiratory Medicine - Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital - Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
Abstract :
Background. Until now, there have been no objective criteria to determine the activity of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA).
+is study aims to analyze the correlation between serum level of IL-1B and the activity of CPA and to determine whether serum
IL-1B could be used to assess the activity of CPA. Methods. A total of 469 newly diagnosed CPA patients were enrolled. Correlation
analysis in the whole subjects showed that only IL-1B level was associated with the activity of CPA. +en, 381 cases with factors
significantly affecting IL-1B expression was excluded through multiple linear regression; the remaining 88 patients were divided
into high IL-1B group and low IL-1B group, according to the median value of serum IL-1B, for subgroup analysis. A retrospective
comparative analysis was subsequently performed between the two groups, including the clinical manifestation, microbiology and
laboratory tests results, and imaging findings. We further investigated the relationship between IL-1B levels and CT characteristic
which acted as the indicator of CPA activity, as well as changes in IL-1B level before and after surgery. Results. For all patients,
correlation analysis revealed that IL-1B level correlated with both cavitary diameter (P = 0.035) and aspergilloma size (P < 0.047)
but not with the thickness of the cavity (P = 0.479). In subgroup comparative analysis, CT characteristics suggested that high
activity of CPA, such as cavitary (27/44 vs 13/44, P = 0.003) and aspergilloma lesions (25/44 vs. 11/44, P < 0.002), were more
frequently found in high IL-1B group. +e cavity diameter (P < 0.001), aspergilloma size (P = 0.006), and cavity wall thickness
(P = 0.023) were significantly different between the two groups. When Spearman correlation analysis was performed once again in
subgroup, an even stronger relationship of serum IL-1B with the cavity diameter (Rs = 0.501, P = 0.002) and aspergilloma size
(Rs = 0.615, P = 0.001) was observed. Interestingly, a significant reduction of IL-1B level was observed after successful resection of
CPA lesions. Conclusion. Higher level of serum IL-1B is associated with more severe cavitary and aspergilloma lesions, which are
indicative of more active CPA. In addition, IL-1B level reduced accordingly after lesion resection. Measuring IL-1B level therefore
could be served as a convenient method to monitor the activity of CPA and be a potential predictive/prognostic marker for
treatment response.
