Comparison of Local and Systemic Production of lnterleukin-8 in Smoking and Non-Smoking Patients with Infectious Lung Disease

Abstract

In the pathogenesis of human lung diseases, much of the experimental evidence has indicated involvement of the neutrophil chemotactic factor interleukin-8 (IL-8). Since IL·-8 is secreted by alveolar capillary wall macrophages, local production of IL-8 may act as a mechanism for polymorphonuclear cell migration into lung tissues. In this study, the concentrations of IL-8 were measured by ELISA in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of 49 patients. The study was divided into three patient groups: group A, 17 with bacterial pneumonia (7 non-smokers and 10 smokers); group B, 23 with pulmonary tuberculosis (9 non-smokers and 14 smokers), and control group, 9 non-smokers. The concentration of ΓL-8 in BAL fluids was increased significantly in groups A and B (non-smokers and smokers) in comparison to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences between non-smokers versus smokers in IL-8 concentration in group A (non-smokers = 170.6 ± 32 versus smokers = 350 ± 89 pg/ml, p < 0.001) and group B (non-smokers = 146.6 ± 31 versus smokers = 305.5 ± 54 pg/ml, p < 0.001). No significant differences in plasma IL-8 concentration were observed in different patient groups (smokers and non-smokers). The present study suggests that the increased local production (BAL) of IL-8 is associated with lung diseases, such as bacterial pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis, and that smoking can increase IL-8 production.

Male Mammary Fistula Complicating Senescent Gynecomastia

“…Prolactin is important for the production of human milk fat globule membrane, which is an essential antibacterial component of milk (8). Smoking has recently been linked with the production of interleukin-8 (IL-8), an important cytokine and mediator of the inflammatory response (9). All of these mechanisms may combine or act independently to produce the clinical syndrome of MDAIDS.…”