Drug-induced hyperergic vasculitis--activity of selected cytokines and acute phase proteins in plasma.

Plasma concentrations of 8 proteins, including cytokines: interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), receptors: soluble IL-2 receptor (slL-2R), p55 soluble TNF receptor (p55 sTNF-R) and acute phase proteins: alpha-2 macroglobulin (alpha-2 MG), C-reactive protein (CRP) were examined in 14 patients with drug-induced hyperergic vasculitis. The activity of selected proteins were measured using the immunoenzymatic ELISA method: a) in the acute stage of disease before treatment was administered, and b) after clearing of skin lesions, after treatment. In the acute stage of disease highly elevated concentrations of the examined proteins (p<0.001) in comparison to the control were found. After clearing of clinical symptoms the concentrations of IL-6 and alpha-2 MG were not significantly different from the control values. But despite deep decrease, plasma levels of remaining six proteins were still highly significant (p<0.001) or significant (p<0.01) when compared to the control. Results of this study indicate that in the course of drug-induced hyperergic vasculitis the systemic inflammatory and immune response is activated and elevated concentrations of the examined proteins are present in peripheral blood despite clearing of the clinical symptoms of the disease.