Effects of comprehensive hyperbaric oxygen therapy on asymmetrical dimethylarginine and the level of related inflammatory factors in ulcerative colitis patients

Abstract

Objective To study the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) coupled with salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP) on the levels of asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) and related inflammatory factors in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and also to explore the possible mechanism involved. Methods One hundred and sixty-eight cases of UC were divided into the control group (n=78) and the comprehensive treatment group (n=90). The former just received oral SASP, while the latter was treated comprehensively with SASP plus HBO. Changes in clinical symptoms and therapeutic efficacy of the 2 groups were evaluated by close observation of the symptom changes and colonoscopy. The levels of ADMA and related inflammatory factors including TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 in the plasma were quantitatively analyzed for the 2 groups. Additionally, the association between various factors was also statistically analyzed. Results The therapeutic efficacy of the comprehensive HBO group (95.56%)was significantly superior to that of the control group(64.10%) (P< 0.05). Following treatment, the levels of ADMA, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-6 [(0.51±0.23、0.48±0.17、0.44±0.16、0.30±0.11) μmol/L] in the plasma all significantly decreased, while the level of IL-10 significantly increased, as compared with those of the control group [(0.85±0.31、0.84±0.25、0.68±0.28、0.39±0.15)μmol/L] (P<0.05). However, there was no statistical significance in IL-4, when comparisons were made between them. The level of ADMA was positively correlated with TNF-α and IL-2(P<0.01), whereas the level IL-6 was negatively correlated with IL-10(P<0.05). Conclusions HBO coupled with SASP could significantly decrease the levels of ADMA and related inflammatory factors (TNF-α、IL-2 and IL-6) in UC patients, and at the same time increase the level of anti-inflammatory IL-10, which might be one of the mechanisms for the treatment of UC. Key words: Hyperbaric oxygen; Ulcerative colitis; Comprehensive therapy; Asymmetrical dimethylarginine; Inflammatory factor