[Serum levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in patients with cerebral arterial stenosis].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between interferon-γ(IFN-γ), interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and cerebral arterial stenosis and to compare serum levels of these inflammatory cytokines in different cerebral arteries stenosis groups.

METHODS

According to the stenotic site, patients with cerebral arteries stenosis were divided into intracranial stenosis group (n=26), extracranial stenosis group (n=30), intracranial and extracranial stenosis group (n=27), and group of stenosis in middle cerebral artery (n=25). And there were 33 samples in the control group. Blood serum IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were analyzed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

RESULTS

Serum IFN-γ and IL-6 levels were significantly increased in all the stenosis groups (P=0.000) as compared with the control group. But serum IFN-γ level had no significant difference between the two optional stenosis groups. And IL-6 level in intracranial stenosis group was lower than those in the other stenosis groups (P<0.05). In addition, we found that TNF-α of intracranial stenosis group (P=0.001) and MCA stenosis group (P=0.015) significantly increased as compared with the control group and the other two stenosis groups.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF-α are possible to participate in the formation of certain cerebral arterial stenosis.