Detection of serum interleukin-1,-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in patients with generalized pustular psoriasis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship of fever with interleukin(IL)-1,-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP).Methods Venous blood samples were obtained from 20 healthy controls,24 patients with fever-associated GPP,10 patients with fever-unassociated GPP at different time points.Serum levels of IL-1,IL-6 and TNF-α were determined by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using an avidin-biotin peroxidase complex system(ABC-ELISA).Results The body temperature positively correlated with disease severity score(r=0.858,P＜0.01),white blood cell count(r=0.429,P＜0.05),neutrophil cell count(r=0.518,P＜0.05),and serum levels of IL-1(r=0.518,P＜0.05),IL-6(r=0.484,P＜0.05)and TNF-α(r=0.587,P＜0.01)in patients with GPP.The serum levels of IL-1,IL-6 and TNF-α in patients with GPP during the period of fever were significantly higher than those in patients with fever-associated GPP at normal temperature(t=3.639,2.276,2.880,P＜0.01 or 0.05)and at the time of discharge(t=5.129,3.348,4.775,all P＜0.01),those in patients with fever-unassociated GPP at the time of admission(t=2.154,2.476,2.582,all P＜0.05)and discharge(t=3.212,3.309,4.566,all P＜0.01),and those in healthy controls(t=4.768,4.539,8.478,all P＜0.01).The serum level of IL-1 was positively correlated with that of IL-6(r=0.575,P＜0.01)and TNF-α(r=0.790,P＜0.01),and the serum level of IL-6 was positively correlated with that of TNF-α(r=0.579,P＜0.01).Conclusions The interaction between IL-1,IL-6 and TNF-α may be involved in the immunological mechanism of fever in GPP,and neutrophils may be associated with the fever in GPP.