The investigation of correlation between serum cytokine levels, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in acute brucellosis

Abstract number: 1733_296

Ates Arica N., Erdinc F.S., Tuncer Ertem G., Bulut C., Yetkin M.A., Onde U., Oral B., Demiröz A.P.

Objectives: Cytokines are thought to have an important role in the pathogenesis of brucellosis and the T helper 1/T helper 2 balance may be involved in the susceptibility or resistance to the disease. Effective immune response is mediated by T helper 1 cells in brucellosis. The aim of this study was to detect serum interferon gamma (IFN-g), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in patients with acute brucellosis and to investigate the correlation between those cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

Methods: Fifty patients with acute brucellosis followed between August 2002 and August 2006 in Ankara Research and Training Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department were included in to the study. The control group included 31 healthy persons. Serum cytokine levels were measured by ELISA method. ESR values were determined by Westergren method and CRP levels were determined by nephelometric method. Data were analysed with SPSS 13.0 for Windows.

Results: The mean serum levels in patients with acute brucellosis and control group were as follows; IFN-g; 14.2 pg/mL and 0.4 pg/mL (p = 0.021), IL-6; 44.7 pg/mL and 2.4 pg/mL (p = 0.012) and IL-12; 176.0 pg/mL and 76.9 pg/mL (p = 0.001), respectively. The difference between two groups was stastically significant (p < 0.05).

In acute brucellosis group, for CRP, we found positive correlation with IFN-g, IL-12 and ESR (r = 0.31, p < 0.05; r = 0.31, p < 0.05; r = 0.53, p < 0.01, respectively). Also there was a positive correlation between IL-12 and IFN-g (r = 0.62, p < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between ESR and the cytokines. For IL-6, there was not any significant correlation with the other parameters.

Conclusion: In conclusion, our study is in accordance with the results of the previous studies suggesting that immunity against brucellosis is mediated by T helper 1 cells. CRP and ESR are proved parameters to be related with acute brucellosis. Significantly high IFN-g, IL-6 and IL-12 levels in acute brucellosis might imply the role of the cytokines in the pathogenesis of brucellosis.