Effects of Stress, Vagal Nerve Stimulation and Disease Activity on Circulating Cytokines, Quantified by an Ultrasensitive Technique, in Ulcerative Colitis: A Pilot Study.

Aims: The utility of circulating cytokine concentrations in ulcerative colitis is limited due to poor assay sensitivity. We aimed to examine the relationship of circulating cytokine concentrations, when measured by ultrasensitive detection, to disease activity, response to induction therapy, and physiological stimuli associated with mucosal injurious events. Methods: Plasma was obtained from adult patients with ulcerative colitis in whom disease activity was assessed; before/after induction therapy; and before/after acute psychological stress and cervical transcutaneous vagal nerve/sham stimulation. Cytokines were measured using an ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence-based multiplex assay. For stress/vagal-stimulation studies, epithelial injury was quantified by plasma concentrations of intestinal-type fatty acid-binding protein. Results: In 12 patients in remission, 15 with mild-moderately active disease and 6 with severe colitis, concentrations of interleukin-17, IL10, interferon- Conclusion: Multiple cytokines were detected at sub-pg/mL levels and many showed relationships to disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis. Effects exerted by interventions associated with epithelial injury were consistently detected by changes in interleukin-12p70 concentrations, but not other cytokines.