AGE-DEPENDENT LEVELS OF SELECT IMMUNOLOGICAL MEDIATORS IN SERA OF HEALTHY-CHILDREN

Serum cytokine levels were measured in 275 healthy children of differe nt ages (3 to 17 years). Interleukin-l receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), s oluble IL-2R (sIL-2R) (sCD25), IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), soluble TNF receptor type II (sTNF-RII) (sCD120b), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sI CAM-1) (sCD54), soluble E selectin (sE-selectin) (ELAM-1; sCD62E), sCD 14, and neopterin were measured with commercial test kits. The mean le vels of IL-1RA, sIL-2R, TNF-alpha, sICAM-1, sE-selectin, and sCD14 wer e higher than in healthy admits. In contrast, IFN-gamma and IL-8 were hardly detectable in children and thereby significantly lower than in adults. In the case of TNF-alpha, sICAM-1, sE selectin, and sCD14, the re was a high interindividual variability, apparently unrelated to dis ease, The profiles of some cytokines, i.e., IL-1RA, IL-6, and TNF-alph a, showed age-related increases that overlapped with known patterns of physical growth. Of note, sIL-2R and sE-selectin instead declined wit h time. Because of the remarkable age-dependent variability in healthy pediatric subjects, disease-related changes, as well as therapy-depen dent alterations, should be considered with caution.