Treatment with levamisole and colchicine can result in a significant reduction of IL-6, IL-8 or TNF-α level in patients with mucocutaneous type of Behcet's disease
Journal
Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine
Journal Volume
38
Journal Issue
5
Pages
401
Date Issued
2009-05-01
Author(s)
Abstract
Background: Mucocutaneous type of Behcet's disease (MCBD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disease with oral and genital ulcers with or without skin lesions. Methods: A solid phase, two-site sequential chemiluminescent immunometric assay was used to measure serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in 54 normal control subjects and in 64 MCBD patients before and after treatment with levamisole plus colchicine. Results: We found that 67%, 83% or 67% of MCBD patients had a serum IL-6, IL-8 or TNF-α level greater than the upper normal limit of 4.7, 8.7 or 7.4 pg/ml, respectively. The mean serum level of IL-6 (9.9 ± 2.4 pg/ml, P < 0.005), IL-8 (107.5 ± 21.4 pg/ml, P < 0.001) or TNF-α (22.5 ± 4.1 pg/ml, P < 0.001) in 64 MCBD patients was significantly higher than that (2.1 ± 0.2, 5.7 ± 0.2 or 3.8 ± 0.2 pg/ml for IL-6, IL-8 or TNF-α level, respectively) in normal control subjects. In 43 MCBD patients with all the serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels higher than their upper normal limits, treatment with levamisole plus colchicine for a period of 0.5-11.5 (mean, 3.2 ± 2.4) months could significantly reduce the mean serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels from 9.0 ± 1.7 to 1.6 ± 0.2 pg/ml (P < 0.001), 134.6 ± 28.2-6.0 ± 0.4 pg/ml (P < 0.001) and 25.7 ± 5.6-3.5 ± 0.4 pg/ml (P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: Treatment with levamisole and colchicine can result in a significant reduction of serum IL-6, IL-8 or TNF-α level in MCBD patients. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Subjects
Behcet's disease | Interleukin-6 | Interleukin-8 | Levamisole | Mucocutaneous type | Tumour necrosis factor-α
SDGs
Publisher
WILEY
Type
journal article