TABLE 2.
Serum cytokine levels in untreated and treated brucellosis patients and in age- and sex-matched healthy controlsa
| Cytokine | Healthy controls (n = 24) |
Brucellosis patients |
P value (pretreatment vs posttreatment) for: |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment (n = 24) |
Posttreatment (n = 24) |
No. (%) of samples with detectable levels | Mean concn (range) | |||||
| No. (%) of samples with detectable levels | Mean concn (range) (pg/ml) | No. (%) of samples with detectable levels | Mean concn (range) (pg/ml) | No. (%) of samples with detectable levels | Mean concn (range) (pg/ml) | |||
| IL-1β | 2 (8.33) | 0.16 (BDLb-0.20) | 24 (100.00)c | 0.88c (0.35-1.96) | 24 (100.00)c | 0.21 (0.08-0.29) | <0.05 | |
| IL-6 | 24 (100.00) | 1.99 (0.30-8.10) | 24 (100.00) | 6.49c (1.61-14.02) | 24 (100.00) | 0.68c (0.19-2.12) | ||
| IL-12p40 | 0 (0.00) | BDL | 24 (100.00)c | 124.87 (41.44-234.50) | 24 (100.00)c | 17.14 (8.28-32.50) | <0.05 | |
| TNF-α | 24 (100.00) | 1.81 (1.20-2.85) | 24 (100.00) | 13.71c (6.39-34.25) | 24 (100.00) | 2.45 (0.18-3.81) | <0.05 | |
| IFN-γ | 0 (0.00) | BDL | 24 (100.00)c | 170.38 (12.09-389.30) | 0 (0.00) | BDL | <0.01 | |
| IL-2 | 0 (0.00) | BDL | 7 (29.17)c | 10.46 (BDL-13.23) | 0 (0.00) | BDL | <0.01 | |
| IL-4 | 0 (0.00) | BDL | 9 (37.50)c | 0.26 (BDL-0.38) | 3 (12.50) | 0.11 (BDL-0.11) | NSd | <0.10 |
| IL-10 | 12 (50.00) | 2.00 (BDL-4.76) | 4 (16.67)c | 1.58c (BDL-1.91) | 5 (20.83)c | 1.22c (BDL-1.26) | NS | <0.46 |
a
Serum cytokine concentrations for 24 brucellosis patients were measured by ELISA. Twenty-four healthy donors were studied in parallel.
b
BDL, below the detection limit.
c
The value is statistically different (P < 0.05) from that for healthy controls.
d
NS, no significant difference.