Changes in Different Cytokines (IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) Profile in Acquired Aplastic Anemia Patients: A Study From Eastern India

Although aplastic anemia has been extensively investigated, little is known about their circulating cytokine pattern. The present study was done to evaluate the severity of the disease with the 3 major anti-hematopoietic cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). This study is ethically cleared. A total of 102 bone marrow plasma and peripheral blood plasma paired samples were collected from the confirmed acquired aplastic anemia (AAA) patients and 10 control cases after taking written consent and analyzed by the quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. Considerably increased levels of IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were found in the peripheral blood plasma and bone marrow plasma of AAA patients as compared with controls, that is, 45.76±20.61 versus 1.99±1.25, P <0.00001; 26.51±15.62 versus 11.7±3.67, P =0.00188; 17.04±11.64 versus 5.27±1.92, P =0.00034 and 70.54± 37.57 versus 3.12±1.82, P <0.00001; 251.82±243.80 versus 15.66±6.35, P <0.00001; 39.35±22.58 versus 11.12±2.41, P =0.00012, respectively. The IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels were observed to be extraordinarily elevated in AAA, but were very low in the control cases. The results confirm that IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ may have an imperative association with the disaster in the bone marrow compartment of AAA patients. The levels and ranges of the observed cytokines can also be predicted by the severity basis of this study.