Elevated expression of IL-12 and IL-23 in patients with aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia (AA), which is characterized by hypocellular bone marrow (BM) and blood pancytopenia, was considered as a T-helper1 (Th1) mediated disease. Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 produced by antigen presenting cells are essential for inducing and sustaining Th1 effector cells via different pathways. However, less is known with regard to the levels of expression and synthesis of these two cytokines in patients with AA. This was determined in the current study in 26 patients with AA as well as in 20 healthy controls. Our results showed that IL-12 p40, IL-12 p35 and IL-23 p19 gene expression can be detected in all samples both from the patients and the controls, using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, an increased expression of IL-12 p40, IL-12 p35 and IL-23 p19 mRNA was observed in bone marrow mononuclear cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with AA compared with the corresponding one in normal controls. Higher levels of IL-12 and IL-23 were also found in BM plasma and PB plasma in patients with AA than in normal controls. Therefore, the augmented expression of IL-12 and IL-23 in patients with AA may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.