Effects of interferon-alpha 2a treatment on serum levels of tumor necrosisfactor-alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha 2 receptor, interleukin-2, interleukin-2 receptor, and E-selectin in Behcet's disease

This study was performed to investigate serum levels of various cytokines a nd E-selectin in patients with Behcet's disease (BD) before and after treat ment with interferon-alpha 2a (IFN-alpha). The study population consisted o f 22 patients with active BD; 15 age- and sex-matched healthy adults served as the control group. IFN-alpha (3 million units subcutaneously) was given to all patients twice a week for 3 months. Twenty of twenty-two patients e xperienced clinical improvement with this therapy. Pre- and post-treatment serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), TNF-alpha 2-recept or (TNF alpha 2R), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), and E-selec tin were measured by sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay. Baseline E-selectin, TNF-alpha, and TNF-alpha 2R levels of the patients were increased in compa rison with the control group and post-treatment values. However, IL-2 and I L-2R levels did not change either with treatment or compared with the contr ol group levels. In conclusion, these results confirm the previously descri bed efficacy of IFN-alpha in the treatment of BD. Serum levels of TNF-alpha , TNF-alpha 2R, and E-selectin are prominently increased during active stag e of the disease, indicating presence of immune system activation and endot helial injury/activation. Improvement of the pathological cytokinemia and e ndothelial disturbance accompany interferon-alpha-induced disease remission .