TABLE 3.
Expression of neutrophil-associated cytokine mRNAs in untreated Buruli lesions compared with ulcers treated with the combination streptomycin (15 mg/kg) and rifampin (10 mg/kg) daily for 2 to 8 weeksa
| Cytokine | Median relative quantity of cytokine mRNA (range)b |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Buruli noduleb |
Buruli ulcer after antibiotics (n = 9) | ||
| No antibiotic treatment (n = 15) | No antibiotic treatment (n = 19) | ||
| IL-8 | 80.7 (4.9-18,950) | 231.5 (17.5-62,000) | 5,961.0 (41.5-77,400) |
| IL-1β | 312 (9.3-37,120) | 430.5 (3.7-348,300) | 4,928 (108.8-11,710) |
| TNF-α | 0.64 (0.05-11.7) | 0.96 (0.03-14.4) | 1.37 (0.23-4.5) |
| IL-12p35 | 3.03 (0-35.3) | 4.23 (0-334.3) | 3.06 (0.9-23.7) |
| IL-12p40 | 1.06 (0-109.9) | 3.27 (0-149.6) | 0.97 (0-5.3) |
a
Ulcers were treated with streptomycin (15 mg/kg) and rifampin (10 mg/kg) daily for 2 to 8 weeks. There were no significant differences between ulcers treated with antibiotic and those that were untreated (Mann-Whitney P value, >0.05).
b
One patient with a nodule was excluded because he had received antibiotics for 6 weeks. He had severe disease with a previous Buruli ulcer scar and a concurrent active Buruli ulcer and he had low mRNA expression of neutrophil associated cytokines.