THE IMPORTANCE OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN THE IMMUNOPATHOGENESIS OF EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA

Sabirov U. Yu., Khamraeva I. U., Inoyatov A. Sh., Ismagilov A. I. and Ismailova A. A.*

ABSTRACT

Aim: to study the role of some pro-inflammatory immunological markers and the possibility of carrying out specific immunotherapy for EB to improve some clinical manifestations of EB, such as wound healing, reduction of blistering and alleviation of itching. Materials and Methods of research. We collected serum samples from 42 patients with EB (19 men and 23 women), consecutively examined and hospitalized in the center, where patients were diagnosed using clinical criteria and basic laboratory signs of the disease and by electron microscopy of skin tissue. In accordance with the cross-sectional study design, serum samples were collected at one time during routine follow-up visits. Results. Levels of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-2 and TNF-α were analyzed in serum samples from patients with EB. In patients with EB, peripheral serum levels of IL-1β were significantly increased compared to normative values (p < 0.01), while IL-6 levels were also significantly increased in the entire group of patients with EB than in the normative group values. An interesting fact was that IL-2 levels were significantly increased in patients with EB compared to normative values, indicating activation of adaptive cellular immunity. The level of TNF-α was significantly reduced in patients with EB than in the group of control normative values. We attempted to look at the correlation between clinical manifestations and proinflammatory cytokine values. A positive correlation of clinical manifestations with the level of IL-6 (r =0.6941) and TNF-alpha (r =0.5503) in the blood serum was revealed. Conclusions: Thus, based on the data presented above, it should be noted that the altered levels of cytokines noted in the present study may be a consequence of genetic defects and the formation of blisters on the skin based on these immunopathogenetic mechanisms. Of course, further studies are needed on a larger group of patients to select the most specific research markers, and which will be associated with the characteristics of the clinical course, which will suggest their immunopathogenetic role in the deregulation of the adaptive immune response. And it should be said that looking to the future, our results will support the use of biological agents that target specific cytokine networks. This alternative therapeutic approach may be useful in counteracting both cutaneous manifestations and systemic long-term complications, thereby avoiding life-threatening consequences and improving quality of life.

Keywords: pro-inflammatory cytokines, epidermolysis bullosa.