Elevated IL-8 levels during sickle cell crisis

The vaso-occlusive process (VOC) in sickle cell disease is of a complex nat ure. It involves intricate interactions between sickle red blood cells, end othelium and probably also leukocytes. As these interactions are regulated by cytokines, we analyzed the role of the potent neutrophil chemokine IL-8 by measuring serum levels in sickle cell patients during sickle cell crisis . These results were compared to nonsymptomatics and healthy controls. In p atients having a vaso-occlusive crisis both HbSS and HbSC patients showed s ignificantly enhanced serum IL-8 levels compared to healthy controls. Sever al of these patients showed extremely elevated serum IL-8 levels which were independent of the crisis inducing factor. Furthermore, a sickle cell pati ent with VOC as a complication of rhGM-CSF treatment similarly showed high IL-8 serum levels at crisis onset. Nonsymptomatic sickle cell patients seru m IL-8 levels were comparable to healthy controls. These results implicate a role for IL-8 at or during (the initiation of) sickle cell crisis.