Systemic immune response in whiplash injury and ankle sprain: Elevated IL-6 and IL-10

Whiplash injury and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) are significant pro blems of modern society. Numerous attempts have been made to characterize t he nature of whiplash injury. Whether the immune system is involved during the disease process is not known. In a prospective study, using enzyme-link ed immunospot (ELISPOT) assays, we examined numbers of blood mononuclear ce lls (MNC) secreting pro(IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory ( IL-10) cytokines in patients with WAD and, for reference, patients with ank le sprain and multiple sclerosis and healthy subjects. An immune response r eflected by elevated numbers of TNF-alpha and IL-10-secreting blood MNC was observed in patients with WAD examined within 3 days compared to 14 days a fter the whiplash injury. The patients with WAD examined within 3 days afte r the injury had also higher numbers of IL-6 and IL-10 secreting blood MNC compared to healthy subjects. The alterations of cytokine profiles observed in WAD were also observed in patients with ankle sprain when examined with in 3 days after trauma. In contrast, there were no differences for cytokine profiles between patients with WAD examined 14 days after the whiplash inj ury and healthy subjects. Relatively minor trauma like WAD and ankle sprain are associated with a systemic dysregulation in numbers of cells secreting pro- as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines. (C) 2001 Academic Press.