EFFECT OF SERUM TH1/TH2 CYTOKINE IMBALANCE ON THE OCCURRENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CHRONIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

LI XIAOLI, XU PENGCHENG

Kidney Internal Medicine Department, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital

Objective: To study the effect of changes in serum cytokine Th1/Th2, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) on the occurrence and development of various forms of chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) in patients.

Methods: Venous blood was collected from 9 patients with IgA mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis (IgA nephropathy), 18 patients with non-IgA mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis (non-IgA MsPGN), 7 patients with membranous nephropathy (MN), 6 patients with focal segmental sclerosing glomerulonephritis (FSGS), 14 patients with chronic renal failure, and 20 healthy people. Serum IFN-γ and IL-10 were assayed by double antibody sandwich ELISA, and 24-h urinary protein and serum creatinine excretion were measured using turbidimetry and picric acid colorimetry, respectively.

Results: There were significant elevations in blood levels of IFN-γ in patients with IgA nephropathy and non-IgA MsPGN, but the levels of IFN-γ in patients with MN were decreased. The IFN-γ of non-IgA MsPGN patients was positively correlated with 24 h urinary protein excretion. The levels of IL-10 in patients with IgA nephropathy, non-IgA MsPGN, FSGC and CRF were significantly decreased. In CRF patients, IL-10 was negatively associated with serum creatinine.

Conclusion: Serum IFN-γ plays a role in the improvement of immunologic injury in mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis which is related to development of proteinuria. The occurrence and development of CGN and CRF are closely linked to decreases in IL-10 levels. Thus, imbalance in serum Th1/Th2 cytokines has certain correlation with clinical indices of these conditions.