CYTOKINE PATTERN IN BLISTER FLUID AND SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID - RELATIONSHIPS WITH DISEASE INTENSITY

Few and contrasting data are available in the literature concerning th e levels of various cytokines in blister fluid (BF) and in the serum o f patients affected with bullous pemphigoid (BP), Using commercially a vailable ELISA kits, this study reports the levels of 11 cytokines det ected both in BF and sera of 15 BP patients and compares them with tho se of 15 control subjects' sera, Generally no significant differences were observed in BP and control sera. In contrast, interleukin (IL) 1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) showed increased BF levels as compared with BP sera. Two cytokines, IL-11 and IL-12 did not show sig nificant differences between BP BF and sera, while an opposite behavio ur was observed for transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), wh ose serum levels were higher than the concentrations in BF. Using the number of lesions of the patients as a possible disease intensity mark er, significant correlations were found with the BF levels of IL-1 bet a, IL-8, TNF-alpha and, most closely, IL-5. These data may have pathog enetic relevance and suggest the possibility that these biological mod ulators may be used as a quantitative marker of disease intensity.