Thalidomide reduces tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 12 production in patients with chronic active Crohn's disease
J Bauditz, S Wedel, H Lochs, J Bauditz, S Wedel, H Lochs
Abstract
Background: Thalidomide improves clinical symptoms in patients with therapy refractory Crohn's disease, as shown in two recent studies. The mechanism of this effect however is still unknown. Suppression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by thalidomide has been suggested as a possible mechanism. However, effects on other cytokines have not been adequately investigated.
Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of thalidomide on cytokine production in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Methods: Ten patients with therapy refractory IBD (nine Crohn's disease, one ulcerative colitis) received thalidomide 300 mg daily in a 12 week open label study. Production of TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and IL-12 was investigated in short term cultures of stimulated colonic lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) and peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) before and after 12 weeks of treatment. LPMC were also cultured with graded doses of thalidomide.
Results: Three patients discontinued treatment because of sedative side effects. In the other patients, disease activity decreased significantly, with four patients achieving remission. Production of TNF-alpha and IL-12 decreased during treatment with thalidomide: LPMC (TNF-alpha: 42.3 (8.3) pg/ml v 16.4 (6.3); IL-12: 9.7 (3.3) v 5.0 (2.5); p<0.04) and PBMC (TNF-alpha: 62.8 (14.6) v 22.5 (9.2); p<0.02). Production of IL-1 beta and IL-6 did not change significantly. Culturing of LPMC with thalidomide showed a dose dependent decrease in TNF-alpha and IL-12 production.
Conclusion: The clinical effects of thalidomide in Crohn's disease may be mediated by reduction of both TNF-alpha and IL-12.
Figures
![Figure 1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/1773116/bin/00883.f1.jpg)
Figure 2
Production of tumour necrosis factor…
Figure 2
Production of tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (A) and interleukin 12 (IL-12) (B)…
Figure 3
Titration of lamina propria mononuclear…
Figure 3
Titration of lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) with increasing doses of thalidomide. Inhibition…
- Enhanced secretion of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1 beta by isolated lamina propria mononuclear cells from patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.Reinecker HC, Steffen M, Witthoeft T, Pflueger I, Schreiber S, MacDermott RP, Raedler A. Reinecker HC, et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1993 Oct;94(1):174-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb05997.x. Clin Exp Immunol. 1993. PMID: 8403503 Free PMC article.
- Peripheral blood monocyte cytokine production and acute phase response in inflammatory bowel disease.Mazlam MZ, Hodgson HJ. Mazlam MZ, et al. Gut. 1992 Jun;33(6):773-8. doi: 10.1136/gut.33.6.773. Gut. 1992. PMID: 1624158 Free PMC article.
- In vitro analysis of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) production and their effects in ileal Crohn's disease.Colpaert S, Vastraelen K, Liu Z, Maerten P, Shen C, Penninckx F, Geboes K, Rutgeerts P, Ceuppens JL. Colpaert S, et al. Eur Cytokine Netw. 2002 Oct-Dec;13(4):431-7. Eur Cytokine Netw. 2002. PMID: 12517728
- Mucosal healing with thalidomide in refractory Crohn's disease patients intolerant of anti-TNF-α drugs: report of 3 cases and literature review.Scribano ML, Cantoro L, Marrollo M, Cosintino R, Kohn A. Scribano ML, et al. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2014 Jul;48(6):530-3. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000000122. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2014. PMID: 24667589 Review.
- Molecular mechanism of action of anti-tumor necrosis factor antibodies in inflammatory bowel diseases.Billmeier U, Dieterich W, Neurath MF, Atreya R. Billmeier U, et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 14;22(42):9300-9313. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i42.9300. World J Gastroenterol. 2016. PMID: 27895418 Free PMC article. Review.
- The efficacy and safety of thalidomide in the treatment of refractory Crohn's disease in adults: a double-center, double-blind, randomized-controlled trial.Peng X, Lin ZW, Zhang M, Yao JY, Zhao JZ, Hu PJ, Cao Q, Zhi M. Peng X, et al. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2022 Oct 20;10:goac052. doi: 10.1093/gastro/goac052. eCollection 2022. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2022. PMID: 36284737 Free PMC article.
- Identification of four key biomarkers and small molecule drugs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by weighted gene co-expression network analysis.Pan X, Liu JH. Pan X, et al. Bioengineered. 2021 Dec;12(1):3647-3661. doi: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1949844. Bioengineered. 2021. PMID: 34261404 Free PMC article.
- Thalidomide Combined With Azathioprine as Induction and Maintenance Therapy for Azathioprine-Refractory Crohn's Disease Patients.Li T, Qiu Y, Li X, Zhuang X, Huang S, Li M, Feng R, Chen B, He Y, Zeng Z, Chen M, Zhang S. Li T, et al. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020 Nov 6;7:557986. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2020.557986. eCollection 2020. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020. PMID: 33240902 Free PMC article.
- Protective Effect of Thalidomide on 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid-Induced Experimental Colitis in Rats via the Inhibition of T Helper 17 Cells.Xie Y, Li D, Luan X, Jin S, Yan B, Tian F. Xie Y, et al. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Jul 20;2020:8861854. doi: 10.1155/2020/8861854. eCollection 2020. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020. PMID: 32766176 Free PMC article.
- Thalidomide for the treatment of angiodysplasia-related recurrent gastrointestinal hemorrhage: Is low dose a safe and viable option?Patel H, Mehershahi S, Shaikh DH, Makker J, Nayudu S, Remy P, Chilimuri S. Patel H, et al. Clin Case Rep. 2019 Oct 23;7(12):2363-2367. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.2501. eCollection 2019 Dec. Clin Case Rep. 2019. PMID: 31893059 Free PMC article.
- Clinical Trial
- Adult
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
- Cells, Cultured
- Colitis / drug therapy
- Colitis / metabolism
- Colitis, Ulcerative / drug therapy
- Colitis, Ulcerative / metabolism
- Crohn Disease / drug therapy*
- Crohn Disease / metabolism
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Resistance
- Fatigue / chemically induced
- Female
- Humans
- Interleukin-12 / biosynthesis*
- Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
- Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Monocytes / metabolism
- Thalidomide / therapeutic use*
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis*
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
- Interleukin-12
- Thalidomide
- Full Text Sources
- Medical
- Research Materials
NCBI Literature Resources
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![Figure 2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/1773116/bin/00883.f2.jpg)
Figure 3
Titration of lamina propria mononuclear…
Figure 3
Titration of lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) with increasing doses of thalidomide. Inhibition…
- Enhanced secretion of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1 beta by isolated lamina propria mononuclear cells from patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.Reinecker HC, Steffen M, Witthoeft T, Pflueger I, Schreiber S, MacDermott RP, Raedler A. Reinecker HC, et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1993 Oct;94(1):174-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb05997.x. Clin Exp Immunol. 1993. PMID: 8403503 Free PMC article.
- Peripheral blood monocyte cytokine production and acute phase response in inflammatory bowel disease.Mazlam MZ, Hodgson HJ. Mazlam MZ, et al. Gut. 1992 Jun;33(6):773-8. doi: 10.1136/gut.33.6.773. Gut. 1992. PMID: 1624158 Free PMC article.
- In vitro analysis of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) production and their effects in ileal Crohn's disease.Colpaert S, Vastraelen K, Liu Z, Maerten P, Shen C, Penninckx F, Geboes K, Rutgeerts P, Ceuppens JL. Colpaert S, et al. Eur Cytokine Netw. 2002 Oct-Dec;13(4):431-7. Eur Cytokine Netw. 2002. PMID: 12517728
- Mucosal healing with thalidomide in refractory Crohn's disease patients intolerant of anti-TNF-α drugs: report of 3 cases and literature review.Scribano ML, Cantoro L, Marrollo M, Cosintino R, Kohn A. Scribano ML, et al. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2014 Jul;48(6):530-3. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000000122. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2014. PMID: 24667589 Review.
- Molecular mechanism of action of anti-tumor necrosis factor antibodies in inflammatory bowel diseases.Billmeier U, Dieterich W, Neurath MF, Atreya R. Billmeier U, et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 14;22(42):9300-9313. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i42.9300. World J Gastroenterol. 2016. PMID: 27895418 Free PMC article. Review.
- The efficacy and safety of thalidomide in the treatment of refractory Crohn's disease in adults: a double-center, double-blind, randomized-controlled trial.Peng X, Lin ZW, Zhang M, Yao JY, Zhao JZ, Hu PJ, Cao Q, Zhi M. Peng X, et al. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2022 Oct 20;10:goac052. doi: 10.1093/gastro/goac052. eCollection 2022. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2022. PMID: 36284737 Free PMC article.
- Identification of four key biomarkers and small molecule drugs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by weighted gene co-expression network analysis.Pan X, Liu JH. Pan X, et al. Bioengineered. 2021 Dec;12(1):3647-3661. doi: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1949844. Bioengineered. 2021. PMID: 34261404 Free PMC article.
- Thalidomide Combined With Azathioprine as Induction and Maintenance Therapy for Azathioprine-Refractory Crohn's Disease Patients.Li T, Qiu Y, Li X, Zhuang X, Huang S, Li M, Feng R, Chen B, He Y, Zeng Z, Chen M, Zhang S. Li T, et al. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020 Nov 6;7:557986. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2020.557986. eCollection 2020. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020. PMID: 33240902 Free PMC article.
- Protective Effect of Thalidomide on 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid-Induced Experimental Colitis in Rats via the Inhibition of T Helper 17 Cells.Xie Y, Li D, Luan X, Jin S, Yan B, Tian F. Xie Y, et al. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Jul 20;2020:8861854. doi: 10.1155/2020/8861854. eCollection 2020. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020. PMID: 32766176 Free PMC article.
- Thalidomide for the treatment of angiodysplasia-related recurrent gastrointestinal hemorrhage: Is low dose a safe and viable option?Patel H, Mehershahi S, Shaikh DH, Makker J, Nayudu S, Remy P, Chilimuri S. Patel H, et al. Clin Case Rep. 2019 Oct 23;7(12):2363-2367. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.2501. eCollection 2019 Dec. Clin Case Rep. 2019. PMID: 31893059 Free PMC article.
- Clinical Trial
- Adult
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
- Cells, Cultured
- Colitis / drug therapy
- Colitis / metabolism
- Colitis, Ulcerative / drug therapy
- Colitis, Ulcerative / metabolism
- Crohn Disease / drug therapy*
- Crohn Disease / metabolism
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Resistance
- Fatigue / chemically induced
- Female
- Humans
- Interleukin-12 / biosynthesis*
- Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
- Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Monocytes / metabolism
- Thalidomide / therapeutic use*
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis*
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
- Interleukin-12
- Thalidomide
- Full Text Sources
- Medical
- Research Materials
![Figure 3](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/1773116/bin/00883.f3.jpg)
Source: PubMed