Objectives: The literature on cytokine response in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is confusing. It is possible that different disease phenotypes have different cytokine profiles. Our aim was to examine the levels of selected pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in SLE patients with and without pulmonary involvement.
Methods and subjects: Patients with SLE were interviewed and were subjected to the pulmonary function test and high-resolution computed tomography studies. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, Il-12, interferon (IFN) gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results: Forty-nine of the 61 SLE patients had pulmonary involvement. Median levels of IL-8, IFNgamma, and TNFalpha were significantly higher in the pulmonary group as compared to the non-pulmonary group (p = 0.027, 0.027 and 0.002, respectively). Ratios of pro-inflammatory cytokines to anti-inflammatory cytokines were higher in the pulmonary group as compared to the non-pulmonary group as well as in the pulmonary restrictive subgroup compared to the obstructive subgroup.
Conclusion: Lupus patients with pulmonary involvement have a stronger pro-inflammatory cytokine bias than those without pulmonary involvement.