Levels of serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor in postsplenectomized thalassemic patients

Levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were studied in 34 nonsplenectomized thalassemic patients (Thal/nonsplenec), 43 postsplenectomized thalassemic patients (Thal/postsplenec), 13 splenectomized non-thalassemic patients (nonThal/ postsplenec) and 18 normal control by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Serum IL-6 concentration in Thal/postsplenec was significantly increased when compared with Thal/ nonsplenec and normal volunteers (3.55 +/- 2.47 pg/ml vs 2.38 +/- 2.31 pg/ml, p = 0.036 and 3.55 +/- 2.47 pg/ml vs 2.66 +/- 0.45 pg/ml, p = 0.028, respectively). This study also demonstrated that TNF-alpha value in Thal/postsplenec was drastically increased above normal control level (15.8 +/- 4.86 pg/ml vs 9.16 +/- 2.18 pg/ml, p = 0.001) and the level was statistically significantly higher than that in Thal/ nonsplenec (15.5 +/- 4.86 pg/ml vs 9.96 +/- 5.19 pg/ml, p = 0.001). There was a trend toward increasing of cytokine levels in Thal/postsplenec with higher platelet count although no correlation was observed. This study addresses the possible role of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the pathogenesis of reactive thrombocytosis in Thal/postsplenec.