Summary:
Idiopathic recurrent pericarditis (IRP) is a frequent and problematic
complication of acute pericarditis with adverse impact on patient’s quality of
life. Since few clinical or laboratory parameters capable of predicting
recurrences are available, we sought to investigate the possible role of
pro-inflammatory cytokines towards this direction.
Thirty consecutive patients with acute idiopathic pericarditis (AIP) were
included in the study. Demographic, clinical, imaging and laboratory data were
collected for each patient at baseline. Additionally different serum
pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by a multiplex assay. Patients were
followed prospectively for twenty months and the appearance of recurrences was
recorded. Various baseline parameters were examined as potential predictors for
recurrent disease.
After the exclusion of 4 (13%) patients who did not complied with the follow-up
period of 20 months and 3 (10%) patients with secondary causes, 23 patients
with AIP were included and followed prospectively. Among them 9 (39%)
eventually developed IRP. These patients were younger (mean age 41 ± 16 years)
and received less frequently colchicine (11%) compared to patients with no
recurrent pericarditis (NRP) (55.8 ± 16 years, p=0.04 and 50%, p=0.05,
respectively). Among the different cytokines studied at baseline, interleukin-8
(IL-8) was more commonly detected among patients with IRP (4/9, 44%) compared
to those with NRP (1/14, 7%, p=0.03).
Conclusions: Younger age, no treatment with colchicine and the detection of
serum IL-8 in patients with AIP were associated with disease recurrence.
Keywords:
Pericardium, Recurrence, Cytokines, Pericardium, Autoinflammatory disease
