The Serum IL-18 Levels And The Clinical Significance In Patients With Acute Cerebral Infarction

Objective: In this research, we observed the volume of infarction and the clinical neurologic impairment degree score of patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI), detected the serum levels of IL-18, IL-6, IL-10, to investigate the possible mechanisms and clinical significance of IL-18 involved in the process of cerebral ischemia.Methods: 46 patients (26 males and 20 females) with ACI were selected for this research, all the patients were diagnosed by CT or MRI. According to the size of infarction, they were divided into three groups: little size group, medium size group, large size group. On the other hand, according to the standard about clinical neurologic impairment degree score, they were divided into three groups: low score group, medium score group, high score group. 40 persons were selected as normal control simultaneously. The statistical test of the general conditions of the groups was performed. There was no significant difference between the groups. In all subjects, the serum concentrations of IL-18 and IL-10 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the serum levels of IL-6 were detected by radio-immunity(RI).To analyse the change of their levels, the relationship between IL-18 and the size of infarction and clinical neurologic impairment degree score. We also oberserved the relationships between IL-18 and otheir cytokines(IL-6, IL-10). The chief statistical indexes were tested by the 13.0 SPSS soft, all measurement data were indicated with (±S) , the two sides"P"less than 0.05 can be considered the difference is significant.Results: 1,The serum IL-18 levels in the patients with ACI were significantly higher than that in the healthy subjects (P <0.05). Compared between groups with the different infarction size: the serum levels of IL-18 were increased steply with the volume of infarction, the differences between the groups was significant (all P <0.05). There was a significant correlation between IL-18 and the volume of infarction(P <0.05). 2,Compared between the three groups: the serum levels of IL-18 were increased steply with the clinical neurologic impairment degree score, the differences between the groups was significant (all P <0.05). There was a significant correlation between IL-18 and the clinical neurologic impairment degree score(P <0.05). 3,The serum IL-6 levels in the patients with ACI were significantly higher than that in the healthy subjects(P <0.05). There was a positive correlation between the levels of IL-6 and the volume of infarction, similarily the correlation between the levels of IL-6 and the clinical neurologic impairment degree score(P <0.05). The serum levels of IL-10 in the patients with ACI were decreased significantly(P <0.05), but there was no correlation between the levels of IL-10 and the volume of infarction, similarily the correlations between the levels of IL-10 and the clinical neurologic impairment degree score(P﹥0.05). 4,There was a positive correlation between the levels of IL-18 and the levels of IL-6, but the correlation between IL-18 and IL-10 was negative(P <0.05).Conclusions: The serum levels of IL-18 were significantly elevated in the patients with ACI, which confirmed that IL-18 may play an important role in the patho-physiolgical course of CI. The serum level of IL-18 was increased closely with the volume of infarction and the clinical neurologic impairment degree score. It would be helpful for estimating the severity of ACI and a prognostic factor. There was a positive correlation between the levels of IL-18 and the levels of IL-6, but the correlation between IL-18 and IL-10 was negative. Which suggested that IL-18 may promote the expression of proinflammatory factor (IL-6) but suppress the expression of antiinflammatory factor (IL-10).