Effect of levofloxacin on the viability of intracellular Chlamydia pneumoniae and modulation of proinflammatory cytokine production by human monocytes

Effects of awakening and the use of topical dexamethasone and levofloxacin on the cytokine levels in tears following corneal transplantation

Objectives. To study the short-term effect of eye opening and use of topical dexamethasone phosphate 0.1% and levofloxacin 0.5% on the cytokine levels in human tears. Methods. Prospective experimental design was used for tear collection from eyes of 10 healthy controls and 20 patients four days after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) at awakening and after instilling dexamethasone or levofloxacin. The concentrations of different cytokines were measured by cytometric bead array. Results. At eye opening, IL-6 levels were higher in the PKP group as compared to the controls. Thirty minutes later, the released levels of IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, IFNγ, and CCL5 increased in controls, while CXCL8 decreased in both control and PKP groups. The release of the cytokines remained stable after 30 mins except for IFNγ, which showed a decrease in the controls following levofloxacin instillation. No short-term effects of the topically used dexamethasone and levofloxacin could be detected on the cytokine levels in controls and after PKP. Conclusions. Evidence of changes in the levels and time course of tear cytokines after awakening or eye opening could be established and the short-term confounding effects of dexamethasone and levofloxacin on the levels of released cytokines in human tears could be excluded.

The association of carotid plaque inflammation and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection with cerebrovascular symptomatology

OBJECTIVE

Inflammation and infection have been implicated in the pathogenesis of carotid artery atherosclerosis, but their role in cerebrovascular disease symptomatology is not so well defined. We hypothesized that carotid disease symptomatology was associated with specific serologic markers of inflammation and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and the presence of the pathogen and concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the atheroma.

METHODS

In 2004, 78 patients underwent carotid endarterectomy in our department, 46 of whom were symptomatic (group A) and 32 were asymptomatic (group B). A detailed medical history, the presence of atherosclerosis risk factors, ankle-brachial index and boxy mass index were recorded. We measured preoperatively the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, TNF-alpha, and the titers of immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgG antibodies against C pneumoniae in the serum. Finally, the atherosclerotic plaques of all patients were immunohistochemically examined for the presence of C pneumoniae and their TNF-alpha concentration was determined.

RESULTS

Isolation of the pathogen on the atheromatous lesion was statistically correlated with several risk factors and some of the variables that were tested. After testing independence of association, using the multiple regression analysis, only male gender (P = .024), hypertension (P = .008), hypercholesterolemia (P = .001), and TNF-alpha plaque values (P = .008) remained significantly associated. Hypertension, serum levels of fibrinogen and anti-C pneumoniae immunoglobulin A, detection of C. pneumoniae on the plaque, and plaque TNF-alpha values were significantly correlated with carotid disease symptomatology. After multiple analyses, only the presence of the pathogen on the lesion (P = .008) and atheroma TNF-alpha levels (P = .025) remained significantly associated with cerebrovascular events.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that hypertensive hypercholesterolemic men are more likely to have C. pneumoniae infected carotid plaques and that these plaques have higher TNF-alpha concentrations. Cerebrovascular disease symptomatology is strongly correlated with both C. pneumoniae infection and TNF-alpha concentration of the atheroma.