interleukin-8 and Pharyngitis

Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenopathy (PFAPA) is an autoinflammatory syndrome characterized by periodic fever with aphthous stomatitis, cervical lymphadenopathy, myalgia, and abdominal pain. Peripheral blood concentrations of selected cytokines of PFAPA patients during and between febrile episodes were analyzed in a search for PFAPA-specific molecular signature.. 23 children with PFAPA (age 6.07 ± 2.94 years, range 5-9 years) and three control children with severe oropharyngeal infections (age 6.2 ± 7.95 years, range 1-17 years) participated in the study. Peripheral blood concentrations of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, GM-CSF, TNF-α were measured using Luminex technology.. PFAPA febrile episodes were characterized by detection of GM-CSF - 134.07 ± 315.5 pg/mL; significant (P < 0.001), compared to baseline and controls, elevation of concentrations of IL-8 (3193.7 ± 2508 pg/mL vs. 100.36 ± 119. pg/mL vs. 2.04 ± 4.08 pg/mL, respectively), IL-6 (1355.38 ± 2026.53 pg/mL vs. 28.8 ± 44.2 pg/mL and 27.13 ± 26.42 pg/mL, respectively). IL-1β was detected only in febrile and afebrile PFAPA patients (922.8 ± 1639 pg/mL vs. 10.98 ± 19.4 pg/ml, P < 0.002, respectively), but not in controls. Peripheral blood concentration of TNFα did not differ significantly between study groups. IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 were negligible in all study subjects.. PFAPA febrile episodes are characterized by activation of GM-CSF and IL-8 with Th1 skewing. We propose a molecular mechanism governing this phenomenon.

Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Cytokines; Female; Fever; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Humans; Infant; Interleukin-8; Male; Pharyngitis; Stomatitis, Aphthous; Syndrome

Streptococcal throat infection is associated with a specific variant of psoriasis and with HLA-Cw6 expression. In this study, activation of circulating psoriatic cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA)(+) memory T cells cultured together with epidermal cells occurred only when streptococcal throat extracts were added. This triggered the production of Th1, Th17, and Th22 cytokines, as well as epidermal cell mediators (CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11). Streptococcal extracts (SEs) did not induce any activation with either CLA(-) cells or memory T cells cultured together with epidermal cells from healthy subjects. Intradermal injection of activated culture supernatants into mouse skin induced epidermal hyperplasia. SEs also induced activation when we used epidermal cells from nonlesional skin of psoriatic patients with CLA(+) memory T cells. Significant correlations were found between SE induced upregulation of mRNA expression for ifn-γ, il-17, il-22, ip-10, and serum level of antistreptolysin O in psoriatic patients. This study demonstrates the direct involvement of streptococcal infection in pathological mechanisms of psoriasis, such as IL-17 production and epidermal cell activation.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; Antistreptolysin; Cells, Cultured; Chemokine CXCL10; Culture Media; Epidermal Cells; Epidermis; Humans; Immunologic Memory; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-17; Interleukin-22; Interleukin-8; Interleukins; Membrane Glycoproteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pharyngitis; Psoriasis; RNA, Messenger; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus; T-Lymphocytes; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-8 productions in 25 children with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and in 15 children with chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD) and in 15 children with streptococcal pharyngitis (SP), were investigated in order to determine whether they have a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatic fever. Significantly higher IL-8 levels were found in ARF patients in the clinically active period. IL-7 concentrations remained unchanged during different stages of rheumatic fever. The decrease of elevated IL-8 concentrations within 3 months and normal IL-8 concentrations in patients with CRHD and SP indicate an excessive production of IL-8, probably by cellular infiltrates in the joint throughout the active period of rheumatic disease.

Topics: Adolescent; Child; Chronic Disease; Female; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Interleukin-7; Interleukin-8; Male; Pharyngitis; Rheumatic Fever; Rheumatic Heart Disease; Streptococcal Infections