Acute phase reactants and cytokine levels in unilateral community-acquired pneumonia

Kolsuz M., Erginel S., Alatas O., Alatas F., Metintas M., Ucgun I., ...More

RESPIRATION, vol.70, no.6, pp.615-622, 2003 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 70 Issue: 6
  • Publication Date: 2003
  • Doi Number: 10.1159/000075208
  • Journal Name: RESPIRATION
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.615-622
  • Keywords: bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, c-reactive protein, pneumonia, cytokine levels, serum, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN, PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII PNEUMONIA, RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS-SYNDROME, BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID, INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, PERSISTENT ELEVATION, BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA, CLINICAL-FEATURES, INFECTED PATIENTS, NECROSIS-FACTOR
  • Eskisehir Osmangazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: Bacterial infection of the lower respiratory tract initiates an acute inflammatory response. Regulation of the inflammatory response in bacterial pneumonia depends on a complex interaction between immune cells and inflammatory cytokines. Objectives: We investigated the initial levels of proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase reactants (APR), e.g. C-reactive protein (CRP), upon presentation of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in relation to clinical and laboratory indices of infection. Methods: We prospectively studied 28 consecutive patients with unilateral CAP. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations were measured by ELISA in both bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and serum. Results: The concentrations of IL1-beta and IL-6 in BAL fluid were found to be significantly higher in the involved lung than those in either the noninvolved lung (p = 0.008 and p = 0.012, respectively) or serum (p = 0.002 and p = 0.025, respectively). Serum CRP concentrations were increased compared to those in the involved and noninvolved lung in BAL fluid (p = 0.000 and p = 0.000, respectively). In serum and BAL from involved lung, IL-6 concentrations were higher in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) group than in the non-SIRS group (p < 0.05), whereas CRP, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8 concentrations showed no difference between SIRS and non-SIRS. There was no significant correlation between the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score and the cytokines. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the CRP level is higher in the serum than in the BAL fluid in the lung, and that IL-6 is the most important cytokine for the determination of the severity of the disease. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.