Change in Serum Concentrations of Interleukin-2 and Interferon-γ during Treatment of Tuberculosis

Abstract

We aimed to investigate changes in serum concentrations of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma during the clinical course of active tuberculosis, to establish the presence of cellular immunity before and after treatment. Blood samples were taken from 18 patients with active tuberculosis before and 2 months after therapy; IL-2 and IFN-gamma concentrations were evaluated. The mean serum IL-2 concentration before therapy was 164.5 pg/ml (range 12-980 pg/ml) and the concentration 2 months after therapy was 92.11 pg/ml (range 1-490 pg/ml). The mean serum IFN-gamma concentrations were 10.83 pg/ml (range 1-22.2 pg/ml) and 4.64 pg/ml (range 1-28.5 pg/ml), respectively. The decrease in concentrations of both cytokines after therapy was statistically significant. Further studies investigating the benefits of adding cytokines to drug treatment for tuberculosis are needed.

Citocinas e proteínas de fase aguda do soro como marcadores de regressão da resposta inflamatória ao tratamento da tuberculose pulmonar

“…(14,15) Our results show that patients with PTB also present increased pretreatment CRP levels, when compared production during treatment was also demonstrated in another study. (25) Although variable, IFN-γ levels in the patients with PTB were lower after two months of treatment than at the onset of the treatment. (25) Finally, a number of authors have observed that PBMCs submitted to various antigenic stimuli present high production of IFN-γ before and after treatment in patients with tuberculosis.…”

“…(25) Although variable, IFN-γ levels in the patients with PTB were lower after two months of treatment than at the onset of the treatment. (25) Finally, a number of authors have observed that PBMCs submitted to various antigenic stimuli present high production of IFN-γ before and after treatment in patients with tuberculosis. (20)(21)(22) Another cytokine that participates in the formation of granulomas is TNF-α, levels of which are high in the pleural fluid, plasma or monocyte culture of patients with tuberculosis, before or after the onset of the treatment, when compared with chronic patients or individuals without tuberc.…”

“…(19) Nevertheless, other studies have demonstrated high pretreatment levels of IFN-γ in the serum of patients with active tuberculosis. (24,25) Another study (24) demonstrated that serum IFN-γ levels were significantly higher in patients before treatment. The highest levels were presented by individuals with fever, although the levels normalized after the treatment.…”

Molecular signatures distinguishing active from latent tuberculosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, after in vitro antigenic stimulation with purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) or Candida: a preliminary report

“…It is known that IFN-c was shown to induce autophagic control of tuberculosis infection [25], thus influencing the waining of specific response with time after infection [26], and high levels of IFN-c have been found in the bloodstream [15,27] and lungs [16,17] of TB patients with active disease. Also, TNF-a is involved in the initial and long-term progression of TB and in macrophage activation along with recruitment of cells to the infected area [5].…”

Serum Interleukin-2 and Neopterin Levels as Useful Markers for Treatment of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis

“…Measurements of serum IL-2 and IFN-γ levels in 18 active tuberculosis patients at the initial phase and during the 2nd month of therapy showed an apparent decrease of these two cytokines after treatment. Since there was no control group, these authors could not state whether the cytokine levels had regressed to values in healthy individuals (Berktas et al 2004). In our study, IL-2 levels were also significantly reduced by the 2nd month of treatment but had returned to healthy control values by the 4th month.…”