INCREASED SERUM CONCENTRATIONS OF INTERLEUKIN-10 IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATOSPLENIC CANDIDIASIS

Hepatosplenic candidiasis (HSC) becomes clinically overt in cancer pat ients upon recovery from neutropenia, HSC may be a consequence of a Th 1-Th2 imbalance, characterized by increased serum levels of one or mor e cytokines. Serum levels of two immunosuppressive cytokines, markers of the Th2 pathway, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 were measured by ELIS A in 10 patients with HSC (22 samples) and compared with 19 healthy bl ood donors, 13 patients with cancer but no infection (23 samples), and 11 patients with cancer and various bacterial infections (17 samples) . IL-4 was undetectable in all controls and patients. By contrast, lev els of IL-10 were increased in HSC patients compared with levels in he althy donors and cancer patients without infection (P < .001) or with bacterial infections (P < .01). These findings indicate that IL-10 but not IL-4 is increased in patients with HSC and suggest that IL-10 pla ys a role in the pathogenesis of this infection.