ELEVATED CONCENTRATIONS OF INTERLEUKINS AND LEUKOTRIENE IN RESPONSE TO MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION

There is significant research in the role of interleukins in lung dise ase, as the cytokines are important mediators in the host response to mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Plasma from patients with pulmon ary tuberculosis (TB) and healthy controls were investigated for their content of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-6 (IL-B) and leukotriene B-4 (LTB(4)). LTB(4) and IL-6 we re measured by enzyme immunoassay after lipid extraction in the case o f LTB, while GM-CSF was measured by enzyme amplified sensitive immunoa ssay. Significantly elevated concentrations of IL-6 were found in far- advanced lesions of pulmonary tuberculosis patients, P < O.05. However , nonsignificant increases of IL-6 were obtained in moderate lesions a nd minimal lesions compared to normal healthy subjects. Marked elevati ons of LTB(4) were found in TB patients, the highest values being show n in patients with far-advanced lesions followed by moderately advance d and minimal lesions in relation to the mean value for normal healthy controls, P < O.001 for all groups. 93% of the tuberculosis patients showed a higher level of LTB(4) above the upper limit of the control g roup. In contrast there was no significant increase of GM-CSF in any o f the TB subgroups. These results suggest that LTB(4) and the interleu kins may play a role in the pathogenesis of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.