05/31/2002 By Veronica Rose
Cytokines play a significant role in the immunopathologic responses to [Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Japanese researchers had recently reported an elevation of serum interleukin -18(IL-18) levels identified in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP).
This led to an investigation into the contribution made to the infection by IL-18, and an assessment of the T-helper type 1 (Th1) cytokine response to pulmonary involvement in adults. The clinical course, pulmonary involvement and serum levels of IL-18, interferon (IFN) -g, IL-12p40 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were investigated in 21 patients with acute MP and 21 controls matched for age, and gender.
Patients with MP exhibited significantly increased levels of serum IL-18 (median, 248pg/mL vs median 126pg/mL and soluble IL-2 receptor (median 617U/mL vs median 425 U/mL by comparison with controls. It was also noted that there was a tendency towards increased serum IFN-g and interleukin 12p40.
There was a positive correlation between circulating IL-18 values and serum sIL-2R levels in addition to the number of affected pulmonary lobes. However, there was no correlation between IL-18 and the serum levels of antibodies to M pneumoniae, IFN-g, and IL-12p40.
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