Author/Authors :
Hashad, R.A. University of Alexandria - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Egypt , Hamed, N.A. University of Alexandria - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology Unit, Egypt , El Gharabawy, M.M. University of Alexandria - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Egypt , Morsi, M.G. University of Alexandria - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Egypt
Abstract :
The role of inflammatory cytokines in the pathophysiology of beta-thalassaemia is still unclear. In this study production levels of interleukins (IL)-12 and IL-13 were measured by commercial ELISA in culture supernatants of mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 non-splenectomized betathalassaemia cases with iron overload and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. IL-12 levels were significantly lower among cases compared with controls (91.4 pg/mL versus 154.6 pg/mL), while IL-13 levels were significantly higher (42.5 pg/mL versus 5.7 pg/mL). There was a significant negative correlation between IL- 12 and IL-13 levels among beta-thalassaemia cases (r = –0.42). Patients with beta-thalassaemia alone had higher IL-12 levels than beta-thalassaemia patients who were seropositive for chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection (140 pg/mL versus 50 pg/mL); IL-13 levels were slightly lower (65 pg/mL versus 67 pg/mL). An imbalance in the IL-12/IL-13 axis may be relevant to the pathophysiology of beta-thalassaemia.
