IL-8 Concentration in β-Thalassaemia and After Bone Marrow Transplantation

Abstract

Several immunological defects can be found in patients with β-thalassaemia; among these the impairment of neutrophil phagocytic and killing functions are of utmost relevance. In alternative to blood transfusions and chelating therapy bone marrow transplantation (BMT) had become an accepted treatment for β-thalassaemia even if graft versus host disease (GvHD) remain an important adverse condition that may occur after BMT. During GvHD neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytic defects are well recognized. In order to evaluate the role of IL-8 in the neutrophil defects in β-thalassaemia and GvHD, we determined IL-8 serum concentrations in 30 patients with β-thalassaemia before and after BMT. IL-8 was measured by ELISA. Patients with β-thalassaemia had higher serum IL-8 concentrations than age and sex matched normal controls. Patients with severe liver siderosis and fibrosis had the highest IL-8 serum concentration. After BMT, IL-8 serum concentration fell significantly in patients with successful engraftment. Conversely in patients with acute GvHD IL-8 serum concentrations were not statistically different from the concentrations found before BMT and were higher than in patients with no complications and patients with graft rejection. IL-8 may play a role in the immune dysregulation which occurs in β-thalassaemia and it may be involved in the immune mechanisms leading to GvHD.