Biomaterial Database

Serum interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in primary biliary cirrhosis: decrease by colchicine and relationship to HLA-DR4. 1992

L C Miller, and M M Kaplan

Department of Pediatrics, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Colchicine improves liver function tests and survival in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC); however, its mechanism of action in PBC is unknown. Because elevated interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) have been found in various inflammatory diseases, we measured serum levels of IL-2 and TNF in 28 PBC patients before and during treatment with either colchicine or placebo. Compared with normal controls, untreated PBC patients had increased serum IL-2 (39 +/- 13 U/ml vs. 0.8 +/- 0.5) and TNF (549 +/- 162 pg/ml vs. nondetectable). During colchicine treatment, both IL-2 and TNF levels decreased significantly (57 +/- 24 to 40 +/- 22, p less than 0.04; 586 +/- 295 to 445 +/- 295, p less than 0.02). No significant changes in IL-2 or TNF levels occurred in the placebo-treated patients. DR4-positive patients had elevated levels of IL-2 at entry, compared with DR4-negative patients (67 +/- 26 vs. 14 +/- 5, p less than 0.04). The effect of colchicine in PBC may be due, in part, to modulation of IL-2 and TNF levels. Alternatively, the changes in IL-2 and TNF may simply reflect the overall improvement in biochemical tests of liver function related to colchicine therapy. DR4 appears to relate to serum levels of these cytokines in PBC and, possibly, also to the response to colchicine.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007376	Interleukin-2	A soluble substance elaborated by antigen- or mitogen-stimulated T-LYMPHOCYTES which induces DNA synthesis in naive lymphocytes.	IL-2,Lymphocyte Mitogenic Factor,T-Cell Growth Factor,TCGF,IL2,Interleukin II,Interleukine 2,RU 49637,RU-49637,Ro-23-6019,Ro-236019,T-Cell Stimulating Factor,Thymocyte Stimulating Factor,Interleukin 2,Mitogenic Factor, Lymphocyte,RU49637,Ro 23 6019,Ro 236019,Ro236019,T Cell Growth Factor,T Cell Stimulating Factor
D008105	Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary	FIBROSIS of the hepatic parenchyma due to obstruction of BILE flow (CHOLESTASIS) in the intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts (BILE DUCTS, INTRAHEPATIC; BILE DUCTS, EXTRAHEPATIC). Primary biliary cholangitis involves the destruction of small intra-hepatic bile ducts and decreased bile secretion. Secondary biliary cholangitis is produced by prolonged obstruction of large intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts from a variety of causes.	Biliary Cirrhosis,Biliary Cirrhosis, Primary,Biliary Cirrhosis, Secondary,Cholangitis, Chronic Nonsuppurative Destructive,Liver Cirrhosis, Obstructive,Primary Biliary Cholangitis,Biliary Cirrhosis, Primary, 1,Primary Biliary Cirrhosis,Secondary Biliary Cholangitis,Secondary Biliary Cirrhosis,Biliary Cholangitides, Primary,Biliary Cholangitis, Primary,Biliary Cholangitis, Secondary,Cholangitides, Primary Biliary,Cholangitis, Primary Biliary,Cholangitis, Secondary Biliary,Cirrhosis, Biliary,Cirrhosis, Secondary Biliary,Liver Cirrhoses, Biliary,Obstructive Liver Cirrhosis,Primary Biliary Cholangitides,Secondary Biliary Cholangitides
D008111	Liver Function Tests	Blood tests that are used to evaluate how well a patient's liver is working and also to help diagnose liver conditions.	Function Test, Liver,Function Tests, Liver,Liver Function Test,Test, Liver Function,Tests, Liver Function
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D003078	Colchicine	A major alkaloid from Colchicum autumnale L. and found also in other Colchicum species. Its primary therapeutic use is in the treatment of gout, but it has been used also in the therapy of familial Mediterranean fever (PERIODIC DISEASE).	Colchicine, (+-)-Isomer,Colchicine, (R)-Isomer
D004797	Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay	An immunoassay utilizing an antibody labeled with an enzyme marker such as horseradish peroxidase. While either the enzyme or the antibody is bound to an immunosorbent substrate, they both retain their biologic activity; the change in enzyme activity as a result of the enzyme-antibody-antigen reaction is proportional to the concentration of the antigen and can be measured spectrophotometrically or with the naked eye. Many variations of the method have been developed.	ELISA,Assay, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Assays, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays,Immunosorbent Assay, Enzyme-Linked,Immunosorbent Assays, Enzyme-Linked
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001681	Biological Assay	A method of measuring the effects of a biologically active substance using an intermediate in vivo or in vitro tissue or cell model under controlled conditions. It includes virulence studies in animal fetuses in utero, mouse convulsion bioassay of insulin, quantitation of tumor-initiator systems in mouse skin, calculation of potentiating effects of a hormonal factor in an isolated strip of contracting stomach muscle, etc.	Bioassay,Assay, Biological,Assays, Biological,Biologic Assay,Biologic Assays,Assay, Biologic,Assays, Biologic,Bioassays,Biological Assays