CLINICAL-VALUE OF CYTOKINE ANTAGONISTS IN INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS

Plasma levels of antiinflammatory compounds (which counteract inflamma tion, cortisol, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-1ra; soluble IL-2 recepto r, sIL-2r; soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, sICAM-1; interle ukin-10, IL-10) were synchronously determined in a consecutive series of 25 patients with severe bacterial infections. Serum levels of corti sol, IL-1ra, sIL-2r, sICAM-1 and IL-10 were significantly higher in pa tients with infection compared with healthy volunteers. Bacterial infe ction results in the production of inflammatory and proinflammatory cy tokines from macrophage/monocyte, which are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). We found that counter-inflammatory compounds can also be released during infectious insults. These results suggested that the biological activ ity of inflammatory mediators is inhibited by natural antiinflammatory compounds, and the body itself might down-regulate excessive inflamma tory cascades through counteracting the inflammatory responses and res tore homeostasis.