Study on the shifting of Th1/Th2 balance in patients with interstitial cystitis

Abstract

Objective To investigate possible disturbance of Th1/Th2 immunoregulation of blood serum and bladder mucosa in patients with interstitial cystitis(IC). Methods Blood serum and bladder mucosal specimens were collected from 16 female patients with IC and 16 female normal controis.The age of IC patients was 51.3±10.2 years.The age of normal controls was 53.1±9.6years.The expressions of Th1(IFN-γ,IL-2)and Th2 cytokines(IL-4,IL-10)were determined by enIFN-γ and IL-2 in IC blood serum were(4.57±2.92),(17.52±7.52)pg/ml and in normal blood serum were(4.11±2.27),(20.99±5.09)pg/ml.Such two factors had no significant differences in these two groups.The expressions of IL-4 and IL-10 in IC blood serum were(0.34±0.22),(4.37±2.34)pg/ml and in normal blood serum were(O.14±O.07),(1.18±0.61)pg/ml.Such two factors had sighad no significant differences with normal bladder tissues(IFN-γ:χ2＝1.900,IL-2:χ2＝0.514).The expressions of IL-4 and IL-10 in IC bladder tissues had significant differences with normal bladder tiswere(0.16±0.11)and(2.42±1.27)pg/ml but in high PUF group were(0.53±0.12)and(6.31±1.21)pg/ml.The expressions of these two factors had significant correlations with the degree of PUF,which intensified in the IC of high PUF. Conclusion The expression of Th2 type eytokines is predominant in IC blood plasm and bladder tissues,the expression of Th2 type cytokines in IC blood plasm and bladder tissues has positive correlation with the degree of PUF. Key words: Cystitis,interstitial; T-lymphocytes; Immunocompetence