Circulating cytokines and soluble CD23, CD26 and CD30 in ANCA-associated vasculitides

Objective To assess circulating immunoregulatory cytokines and soluble surface marker s of T and B cell activation in the plasma of patients with Wegener's granu lomatosis (WG), Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) and microscopic polyangiitis ( MPA) during active and inactive diseas, in order to establish their value i n discriminating between disease entities and as markers of disease activit y. Methods Plasma levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-gamma and soluble CD2 3, CD26 and CD30 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in pa tients with WG (n = 21), CSS (n = 19) and MPA (n = 14) during active diseas e and remission. Results Concerning cytokines, no differences were observed for IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL- 5 and IL-13. Plasma levels of IL-12 were decreased in all subgroups of pati ents. On the contrary, IL-10 levels were significantly elevated only in pat ients with CSS. Levels of sCD30 were significantly increased in patients wi th active generalized WG and CSS, but not in those with MPA and localized W G, correlating with the disease extent and activity. sCD26 levels were mark edly decreased in patients with generalized WG, CSS and MPA and increased t owards remission. sCD23 levels were slightly, but not significantly increas ed in CSS and generalized WG. Conclusion Regarding the investigated immunoregulatory cytokines (Th1/Th2 type), only the measurement of plasma levels of IL-10 discriminated CSS from WG and MPA . The reported data could indicate a similar status of T cell activation in generalized WG and CSS, and possibly a shift in peripheral immunity toward s a more humoral dominated immune response. The differences observed betwee n patients with the localized and generalized forms of WG seem to reflect t he clinically known biphasic course of this disease.