Evaluation of Serum NF-κB, IL-6, IL-8 and their Relation to Leptin in Patients with Active Behcet’s Disease

Abstract

B EHCET'S DISEASE (BD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown cause. It is characterized by elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines that have been previously reported, yet the pathogenesis is still unknown.Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor that remain latent in the cytoplasm and shuttles to the nucleus whenever activated. On activation, NF-κB regulates the enzymes cytokines (IL-6, IL-8). NF-κB has been contributing to a wide variety of autoimmune diseases amongst which is BD. NF-κB pathways were involved in the anti-apoptotic activity of leptin in neutrophils in vitro. The present study was conducted to determine serum NF-κB levels, and its role in modulating the expression of different cytokines (IL-6, IL-8) in active BD patients. This is in addition to studying the relationship of leptin with NF-κB, IL-6 and IL-8.The current study included 25 patients with active BD and 25 healthy controls. Serum IL-6, IL-8 and NF-κB levels were measured with quantitative sandwich ELISA kit enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, while leptin serum levels were measured using specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) kits.IL-6, IL-8, NF-κB and leptin were significantly higher in BD group than in the control group. Also, there was a positive correlation between IL-8, IL-6, NF-κB and leptin. New insights of the role of leptin in the autoimmune pathophysiology was studied, and its relationship with NF-κB, IL-6 and IL-8 in these patients was detected and might help in elucidation of its pathogenesis. Further studies, are required to encourage the use of anti-NF-κB and anti-Leptin as recent treatment modalities in BD.