A study of the level of circulating cytokines in patients with atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Goal of the study. To study the role of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines for the course of atopic dermatitis (AD). Materials and methods. The study involved 72 patients aged 25-55 suffering from atopic dermatitis for 2-30 years and with at least two relapses a year. The AD patients were assigned to the following groups depending on the SCORAD (iSc) index: Group 1: light form (iSc < 30 points), Group 2: moderate to severe form (iSc from 30 to 50 points) and Group 3: severe form (iSc > 50 points). The control group comprised 23 practically healthy subjects aged 25-35. The level of cytokines (IL-1 β, -4, -6, -8, -10, -12, -13, TNF-α and IFN-γ) in blood serum was determined based on the immune-enzyme assay method. Results. A trend to the increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, -6, -10, -13) at the exacerbation stage and increased synthesis of pro-inflammatory ones (IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-12) at the remission stage was observed in patients with atopic dermatitis, which confirms the dysregulation of reciprocal relationships between Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte subpopulations during the disease.