Interlukine-12 and C-reactive protein as a Markers for Chronic Bacterial Infections

This study was conducted to investigate the immunoregulatory role of serum Interleukin-12 (IL-12p70) and serum C- reactive protein (CRP) in the pathophysiology and virulence of three persistant bacterial pathogens Helicobacter pylori, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Brucella abortus. The mean serum IL-12p70 concentration in patients harbor Mycobacterium tuberculosis (5.775 ± 0.457) and Brucella abortus (5.925 ± 1.122) was low and showed no significant differences with healthy volunteers. However, patients harbor Helicobacter pylori showed significant elevation in serum IL-12p70 to (12.422±1.817 pg/ml). Abnormal C-reactive protein concentrations were observed in 28.1% (11.784±6.105 mg/L) of patients harbor Helicobacter pylori, 37.5% (16.047±6.358mg/L) harbor Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 31.3% (20.588±6.887mg/L) harbor Brucella abortus. Conclusion suggest down regulation in the IL-12 cytokine, which could be a contributing factor in reactivated disease and helping the bacteria to persist and cause chronic inflammation and that C-reactive proteins cannot be used as a useful measurement for evaluating possible inflammatory process in persistent infection.