Alteration of the Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Profiles of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell in Crohn’s Disease Patients after Following up

Fatemeh  Ghasemi; Vahid  Basirat; Maryam  Izad; Mohammad Javad  Tavassolifar; Mehdi  Yaseri; Nasser  Ebrahimi Daryani; Masoud  Alebouyeh; Mohammad Reza  Pourmand

doi:10.18502/ijph.v51i7.10099

Fatemeh Ghasemi Department of Pathobiology, Biotechnology Research Center, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Vahid Basirat Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and health services, Isfahan, Iran
Maryam Izad Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Javad Tavassolifar Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Yaseri Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Nasser Ebrahimi Daryani Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Masoud Alebouyeh Pediatric Infections Research Centre, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Reza Pourmand Department of Pathobiology, Biotechnology Research Center, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v51i7.10099

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Inflammation; Cytokines; Regulatory T cell; Blood culture

Abstract

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) has a chronic course, which its recurrence varies widely among different patients. In this study we prospectively analyzed blood samples of 19 CD patients. Alteration in transcription of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was analyzed compared with household members after three month follow up.

Methods: CD patients were diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, endoscopic and histopathologic characteristics. Nineteen CD patients and their households were evaluated from Jun 2019 to Feb 2021 at Tehran university hospitals. CD activity score, biological, clinical and demographic data of the patients were recorded at two time point intervals. Bacteriological tests were done using aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures. To investigate transcriptional alterations, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated using Ficol centrifugation method and relative quantitative real-time PCR was done to determine the expression level of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL10, and FOXP3 cytokines.

Results: Our results showed a correlation between fecal calprotectin level (709.8 ± 554.6), C-reactive protein concentration (18.1 ± 15.9), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (30.4 ± 17.9) with disease activity (Flare/remission). IL10 and Foxp3 anti-inflammatory gene’s expression were significantly (P = 0.003 for IL10 and P = 0.008 Foxp3) higher during the flare and remission in patients with active disease respectively. Bacteriological examination showed infection with Streptococcus spp. and Clostridium spp. in two CD patients during flares, which was correlated with upregulation and down-regulation of IL10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and FOXP3 proteins, respectively.

Conclusion: Occurrence of bacteremia, and higher amount of CAP, CRP and ESR are correlated with higher level of transcription for inflammatory cytokines, which could effectively reflect the disease activity. Raise in FoxP3 transcription proposed change in Treg sub-population in PBMC or its activity during the CD remission phase.