[A study of cytokine expression in peripheral blood of patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), sIL-6R and tumor necrosis factors (TNF) in the peripheral blood in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy and determine the relationship between the serum cytokine levels and the development of the disease. METHODS: The level of serum IL-2, IL-6, sIL-2R, sIL-6R and TNF were measured in the following 3 groups: acute phase (35 patients), chronic phase (15 patients) and control (30 patients). Thirty-two of the acute patients were received the same examination after a course of glucocorticoid therapy. RESULTS: The level of sIL-2R, IL-6, sIL-2R, sIL-6R and TNF in acute patients are (13.86 +/- 2.06) U/ml, (642.86 +/- 123.90) U/ml, (105.11 +/- 15.77) U/ml, (2 438.06 +/- 218.88) pg/ml, (49.91 +/- 9.081) U/ml respectively, significantly higher than that of the normal persons (P < 0.01). After a course of glucocorticoid treatment, sIL-2R, sIL-6R, TNF were decreased to (437.75 +/- 90.54) U/ml, (2 142.31 +/- 301.08) pg/ml, (37.63 +/- 6.12) U/ml, close to the chronic patients, but still higher than normal. After treatment, there was no significant difference of IL-6 level among the 3 groups (P > 0.05). There was positive correlation among IL-6, sIL-2R and TNF level (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A serial cytokines participate in the occurrence and development of Graves' ophthalmopathy. Most of them are related to the course and therapy of the disease.