Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Abstract
In his review of inflammatory bowel disease (Aug. 8 issue),1 Podolsky refers to interleukin-10 as a down-regulatory cytokine, citing findings in murine models. However, recent data do not support an antiinflammatory role for interleukin-10 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. In this regard, Tilg et al. reported that recombinant interleukin-10 administered to patients with Crohn's disease increased the production of interferon-γ.2 The inflammatory role of interleukin-10 found in their study paralleled the absence of significant benefits in clinical trials assessing the efficacy of high doses of recombinant human interleukin-10.3,4 Such data reveal the complexity of the cytokine network in human inflammatory bowel disease, as well as the need for applying the findings of basic research to clinical practice cautiously.