Significant alterations of serum cytokine levels in patients with Peyronie's disease
Int. braz. j. urol
;
34(4): 457-466, July-Aug. 2008. graf, tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-493666
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the expression of the cytokines transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum from patients with Peyronie's disease (PD) compared to healthy controls. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
Ninety-one consecutive PD patients aged 20 - 74 years were included in this study. All patients were diagnosed with symptomatic PD for the first time and had a palpable penile plaque. The patients previously had the disease for 6 - 72 months. None of the patients had a severe infectious disease or known systemic illness. For cytokine analyses, peripheral venous blood samples were obtained before treatment. Fifty healthy male blood donors aged 22 - 64 years served as the control group. TGF-beta1, IFN-gamma, Il-6, and TNF-alpha were analyzed quantitatively with commercial immunoassays.RESULTS:
Mean cytokine levels in serum from patients were increased for TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma compared to healthy controls. The difference for TGF-beta1 was considered statistically significant (p < 0.001). IL-6 was not detectable in PD patients (p < 0.01) and TNF-alpha was decreased (p < 0.0001).CONCLUSION:
The significantly elevated serum level of the profibrotic TGF-beta1 cytokine underscores the effect of cytokines in the pathophysiology of PD. The significantly decreased TNF-alpha serum level suggested no acute immunomodulatory process. Therefore, the relevance for therapeutic administration of TNF-alpha should be further investigated. Quantification of TGF-beta1 in serum of PD patients provides a possible diagnostic tool and target for therapy. The data on altered cytokine levels in PD patients also provide a new understanding for etiopathogenesis of PD, which warrants further investigation.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Penile Induration
/
Interferon-gamma
/
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
/
Transforming Growth Factor beta1
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Int. braz. j. urol
Journal subject:
Urology
Year:
2008
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Austria
/
Germany
Institution/Affiliation country:
Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen/DE
/
Universities of Vienna and Innsbruck/AT
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