Background: The mechanism for the onset of Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis is unknown. In order to identify the pathogenesis of nephritis, laboratory findings and serum cytokines between Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) patients without nephritis and with nephritis were investigated.
Methods: We enrolled 32 patients who had been diagnosed with HSP from January 1993 to December 1998. These patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted 12 patients without nephritis and group 2 consisted 20 patients with nephritis. We evaluated laboratory findings such as eosinophil counts, serum IgE, eosino cationic protein (ECP), and serum cytokine (interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13 interferon-gamma and tumor necrotic factor-alpha) concentrations between both groups.
Results: At the acute phase, serum IL-5 and ECP concentrations in group 2 were higher than those in group 1 (59.4 +/- 32.7 pg/mL vs. 10.8 +/- 12.8 pg/mL, P < 0.05, 24.3 +/- 5.1 microg/L vs. 8.9 +/- 4.2 microg/L, P < 0.05, respectively). Serum IL-4 concentrations at the acute phase in group 1 were higher than those in group 2 (40.2 +/- 21.5 pg/mL vs. 10.7 +/- 5.4 pg/mL, P < 0.01). In group 2, serum IL-5 concentrations at the acute phase were higher than those at recovery phase.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that IL-5 and eosinophil activation may be one of the factors involved in the mechanism for onset of nephritis.