Alteration in inflammatory mediators in seriously eye-injured war veterans, long-term after sulfur mustard exposure

• Published in: International immunopharmacology 2020-03, Vol.80, p.105897, Article 105897
• Main Authors: Ghasemi, Hassan, Javadi, Mohammad Ali, Ardestani, Sussan K., Mahmoudi, Mahmoud, Pourfarzam, Shahryar, Mahdavi, Mohammad Reza Vaez, Yarmohammadi, Mohammad Ebrahim, Baradaran-Rafii, Alireza, Jadidi, Khosro, Shariatpanahi, Shamsa, Rastin, Maryam, Heidary, Fatemeh, Safavi, Maliheh, Mirsharif, Ensie Sadat, Nasiri, Zahra, Ghazanfari, Tooba
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Adult; Antigens, CD - blood; Cerebrospinal fluid; Chemical Warfare Agents - toxicity; Colony-stimulating factor; Cornea; Cytokines; Cytokines - blood; Cytokines - immunology; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Exposure; Eye; Eye - pathology; Eye injuries; Eye Injuries - blood; Eye Injuries - chemically induced; Eye Injuries - immunology; Eye Injuries - pathology; Fas Ligand Protein - blood; FasL protein; Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; Humans; IL-1β; Immunology; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators - blood; Inflammation Mediators - immunology; Inflammatory mediators; Interleukin 1; Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist; Interleukin 1 receptors; Interleukin 6; Male; Middle Aged; Military personnel; Mustard gas; Mustard Gas - toxicity; Nitrites - blood; Ocular injury; Serum levels; Sulfur; Sulfur mustard; Tearing; Tears - chemistry; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Veterans
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105897

•Cytokines play a significant role in both the acute and chronic phase of Sulfur mustard (SM) intoxication.•Serum levels of interleukin-1α and Fas ligand are significantly higher among SM-exposed patients.•Serum and tear levels of tumor necrosis factor-α are significantly lower in SM-exposed patients.•Serum levels of Fas Ligand are significantly higher in SM-exposed patients with severe ocular involvement.•Lower tear tumor necrosis factor-α concentration may be due to lower serum levels of this cytokine. Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure produces extensive systemic and ocular adverse effects on the victims. One of the most important effects is immunological insults that can lead to other organ damages, including the eyes. In this descriptive study, 128 SM-exposed veterans with severe eye injury were compared with 31 healthy controls. Tear levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL1Ra, IL-6, TNF-α, granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Fas Ligand (FasL) were compared between the two groups. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD); tear breakup time (TBUT