Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Vol 12, Issue 12 2557-2561, Copyright © 1997 by Oxford University Press
I Tikhonov, A Rebenok and A Chyzh
Background: Interleukin-8 (IL-) plays a crucial role
in the recruitment and activation of polymorphonucleated leukocytes (PMN)
in the site of inflammation. Defensins are specific cationic proteins from
azurophil PMN granules which exert antimicrobial, cytotoxic and
proinflammatory activities. Methods: Urine and plasma
levels of IL-8 and defensins were studied using specific enzyme-linked
imunosorbent assays. IL-8 was determined in 107 patients, including 45 with
chronic glomerulonephritis (GN) and 62 with chronic pyelonephritis (PN).
Urine and plasma levels of defensins were studied simultaneously in 29
patients with GN and 29 with PN. None of the patients examined showed any
evidence of renal insufficiency. A group of 24 healthy volunteers was used
as a control. Results: Urinary IL-8 was significantly
increased in all groups of patients comparing with healthy control
(<30 pg/ml). The level of IL-8 in the urine of patients with PN
(477±114 pg/ml, mean±SEM) was significantly (P
<0.001) higher than in patients with GN (53±7 pg/ml). The
concentration of defensins in urine of patients with GN was slightly
increased in comparison with the normal level (21±3.5 ng/ml
versus 15.7±2.8 ng/ml). Urinary defensins were significantly
elevated in patients with PN (134±118 ng/ml, P<0.001),and
were significantly higher than in the GN group (P <0.001). A close
correlation was observed between IL-8 and defensin concentrations in urine
(r=0.62), and between the urinary leukocyte count and IL-8 level (r=0.72).
The highest levels of IL-8 were observed in patients with PN, associated
with nephrolithiasis 914 patients, 822±219 pg/ml versus
367±72 pg/ml in patients with PN alone, P <0.05). IL-8
and defensin levels increased in older patients with PN, but not in older
patients with GN. Conclusions: The levels of IL-8 and
defensins in urine were 7-10-fold higher in patients with PN than in
patients with GN. Thus, there is a significant difference in IL-8
production between septic and aseptic chronic inflammatory processes in
kidney. It is possible to speculate that the timing and progression of
kidney inflammation is mediated by an IL-8 dependent mechanism at least in
the case of PN. Key words: interleukin-8; defensins;
inflammation; pyelonephritis; glomerulonephritis
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
A study of interleukin-8 and defensins in urine and plasma of patients with pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis
Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 223059 Minsk, Byelarus; Institute of Physician's Postgraduate Education, Minsk, Byelarus; Corresponding author
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