Original Paper

Th1 and Th2 Cytokine Profiles in Sickle Cell Disease
R. Raghupathy^a, M.Z. Haider^b, F. Azizieh^a, R. Abdelsalam^b, T.M. D'Souza^b, A.D. Adekile^b

Departments of
^aMicrobiology and
^bPaediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait

Address of Corresponding Author

Acta Haematol 2000;103:197-202 (DOI: 10.1159/000041049)

  Key Words

• Cytokines
• Sickle cell disease
• Th1
• Th2

  Abstract

We have investigated the levels of Th1 (IL-2 and IFN-) and Th2 (IL-4) cytokines in the plasma and supernatants following peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture and mitogen stimulation in a group of 39 patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) made up of 29 SS, 8 S-thal and 2 Hb SD in steady state. Five SS patients were studied during 7 episodes of vaso-occlusive crisis. Twenty-four control (3 Hb AS and 21 Hb AA) were also studied; 10 were acutely ill while 14 were healthy at the time of the study. The plasma levels of IL-2 and IFN- were similar in the patients and the controls. However, plasma IL-4 was significantly higher among the steady-state SS patients than in the controls. While there was no significant difference in cytokine levels following mitogen stimulation in the different groups, plasma IL-2 to IL-4 and IFN- to IL-4 ratios were significantly lower among the steady-state SS patients, indicating a possible Th2 bias in our sickle cell patients and suggesting a possible mechanism to explain the predisposition of SCD patients to bacterial infections. However, SS patients with good splenic function showed a relative Th1 bias, which may be an additional explanation for the protection against bacterial infections in such patients.

Copyright © 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dr. Raj Raghupathy
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine
Kuwait University, PO Box 24923
Safat 13110 (Kuwait)
Tel. +965 531 9602, Fax +965 533 2719, E-Mail raj@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw

  Article Information

Received: Received: October 30, 1999
Accepted after revision: March 30, 2000
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 37