Features of proinflammatory cytokine production in patients with allergic rhinitis combined with <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>-associated pathologies

Abstract

One of the most relevant courses in modern immunology is studying of the importance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in an immune and inflammatory response. By this moment a lot of data regarding the cytokine status of certain inflammatory processes in gastrointestinal tract were received. But still many questions remain unanswered. Moreover, most of the research concern the studying of the level of cytokines in biopsy materials from different parts of gastrointestinal tract or from the gastric juice itself. This article presents the results of the study of the features of cytokines production in patients with combination of allergic rhinitis and H. pylori-associated diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. A total of 225 patients aged 18 to 40 years (mean age was 29,5 ± 6,74 years) were examined. The patients included into the research: 43 patients had allergic rhinitis, 66 patients had inflammatory diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract (chronic gastritis/gastroduodenitis), 69 patients had allergic rhinitis with concominant inflammatory diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Allocating patients to group was carried out depending on the presence of allergic rhinitis and H. pylori infection. Serum level of IL-6 and IL-8 and complete blood cell counts were evaluated. Statistical significance in difference of frequency in independent groups was determined by Fisher’s exact test or χ2 criteria. It was shown that serum values of IL-6 in H. pylori-negative patients were within the reference interval with single peaks, while the synthesis of this cytokine is significantly increased in patients with H. pylori infection regardless of the presence of allergic pathology. Frequency of elevated serum values of IL-8 were comparable in groups of patients with gastrointestinal diseases, but it was significantly higher than in group of healthy individuals. Interdependence between serum level of IL-8 and white blood cell count was found. This fact is an area of interest for prognosis of development of the inflammatory process. As a result, the serum level of IL-8 in inflammatory diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract increased regardless of the presence of H. pylori infection and allergic rhinitis, and increase of serum IL-6 level was observed only in H. pylori-positive patients.