Abstract:

Isoprinosine is a drug with immunomodulatory and antiviral properties. It increases IFN- gamma, IL-2, IL-10, and TNF-alpha serum levels at 7th to 10th day in healthy volunteers. In the present study serum levels of IL-2; IL-4; IL-6; IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN- gamma, and IP-10 were evaluated prior and after a single-day intake of 3-4g Isoprinosine in 6 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and in 21 healthy probands. The cytokine concentrations were measured by human cytometric bead array (CBA) Th1/Th2 cytokine kit II and CBA IP-10 Flex Set (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA). More frequently detected cytokines were IL-6, IL-10 and IP-10, while IL-2, IL-4, TNF- alpha and IFN-gamma serum levels were practically undetectable. 5 out of the 6 patients (83%) showed detectable IL-6 serum level in all measurements, as did 9 out of the 21 controls (43%), while IL-10 was detectable in all measurements in 5/6 (83%) of the patients and 4/21 (19%) of the controls. Median serum concentration of IL-10 tends to increase in both groups after Isoprinosine intake, while IL-6 median level tends to increase only in the patients. Changes of IL-6 and IL-10 were not significant. All patients (100%) and 19/21 (90%) of the controls had detectable IP-10 level in all measurements. Paired t-test showed a significant decrease of IP-10 in the afternoon post-dosing compared to baseline values (t=2.52; p<0.02). The difference was lost between baseline and morning levels on the following day post-dosing (t=0.46; p=0.64). All studied cytokines were   detectablein all measurements in only one healthy proband and demonstrated the immunomodulator-dependent dynamics with increased levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma after Isoprinosine intake.