M Trovato1, R M Ruggeri2, S Sciacchitano3, T M Vicchio2, I Picerno4, G Pellicanò5, A Valenti2, G Visalli4. 1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: mariatrovato@tin.it. 2. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Messina, Italy. 3. Laboratory of Biomedical Research, Niccolò Cusano University Foundation, Rome, Italy; Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy. 4. Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy. 5. Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Developmental Age 'Gaetano Barresi', Messina, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Elevated IL-6 levels have been associated with both autoimmune diseases and treated HIV-seropositive (HIV+) subjects. However, few data on classic and trans-signaling IL-6 in autoimmune thyroid diseases and HIV+ subjects developing autoimmune disorders are currently available. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 102 patients were included in the study. They were subdivided into two groups. Group A consisted in 51 HIV+ patients, who were followed-up for a period of five years in search of possible occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Ten of them, treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), developed an autoimmune disorder, namely Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and psoriasis. Group B consisted in 51 patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Serum levels of the free form of IL-6 were analyzed by ELISA in all patients and for HIV+ patients at the beginning of the follow-up, before initiation of ART. RESULTS: Mean serum levels of IL-6 were similar in Group A and in Group B. In Group B, IL-6 levels showed a 5.8% increase compared with assay minimum detectable dose corresponding to 1% of full serum IL-6 level. However, serum levels of free IL-6 were increased in those HIV+ patients who developed autoimmune disorders (5.8±2.8pg/ml) and in these patients, the highest levels of free IL-6 correlated with age and CD4 cellular counts. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates a correlation between serum free IL-6 levels and the occurrence of autoimmune disease in HIV+ population, treated with ART during a long-term follow-up. The increased levels of serum free IL-6 were observed before ART treatment was initiated, indicating that IL-6 measurement in such patients may represent an early predictor of development of autoimmune disease.
BACKGROUND: Elevated IL-6 levels have been associated with both autoimmune diseases and treated HIV-seropositive (HIV+) subjects. However, few data on classic and trans-signaling IL-6 in autoimmune thyroid diseases and HIV+ subjects developing autoimmune disorders are currently available. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 102 patients were included in the study. They were subdivided into two groups. Group A consisted in 51 HIV+ patients, who were followed-up for a period of five years in search of possible occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Ten of them, treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), developed an autoimmune disorder, namely Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and psoriasis. Group B consisted in 51 patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Serum levels of the free form of IL-6 were analyzed by ELISA in all patients and for HIV+ patients at the beginning of the follow-up, before initiation of ART. RESULTS: Mean serum levels of IL-6 were similar in Group A and in Group B. In Group B, IL-6 levels showed a 5.8% increase compared with assay minimum detectable dose corresponding to 1% of full serum IL-6 level. However, serum levels of free IL-6 were increased in those HIV+ patients who developed autoimmune disorders (5.8±2.8pg/ml) and in these patients, the highest levels of free IL-6 correlated with age and CD4 cellular counts. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates a correlation between serum free IL-6 levels and the occurrence of autoimmune disease in HIV+ population, treated with ART during a long-term follow-up. The increased levels of serum free IL-6 were observed before ART treatment was initiated, indicating that IL-6 measurement in such patients may represent an early predictor of development of autoimmune disease.
Authors: Manuela Ceccarelli; Emmanuele Venanzi Rullo; Fabrizio Condorelli; Fabrizio Vitale; Vincenzo Di Marco; Giuseppe Nunnari; Giovanni Francesco Pellicanò Journal: Open Access Maced J Med Sci Date: 2018-04-25
Authors: Maria Trovato; Salvatore Sciacchitano; Alessio Facciolà; Andrea Valenti; Giuseppa Visalli; Angela Di Pietro Journal: Int J Mol Med Date: 2021-04-28 Impact factor: 4.101