Whole body hyperthermia treatment increases interleukin 10 and toll-like receptor 4 expression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A pilot study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts. Symbols and abbreviations: Δ patients; ○ healthy control subjects;

, total duration of hyperthermia treatment including active heating and heat retention period; bef, baseline measurements immediately before start of hyperthermia treatment around 7:00 a.m.; 0, end of active heating period (achievement of target body core temperature); 1, 1 h after end of active heating (end of heat retention period); 2, 2 h after end of active heating; 3, 3 h after end of active heating; 24, 24 h after end of active heating.

Figure 2. Lymphocyte subsets. Symbols and abbreviations: Δ patients; ○ healthy control subjects;

, total duration of hyperthermia treatment including active heating and heat retention period; bef, baseline measurements immediately before start of hyperthermia treatment around 7:00 a.m.; 0, end of active heating period (achievement of target body core temperature); 1, 1 h after end of active heating (end of heat retention period); 2, 2 h after end of active heating; 3, 3 h after end of active heating; 24, 24 h after end of active heating.

Table 1. Effects of hyperthermia on polymorphonuclear leucocytes and lymphocyte subsets (q-values).

	Group effect	Time effect	Group by time interaction
Neutrophils	0.0018	3.8 E-12	0.12
Basophils	0.083	0.045	0.14
Eosinophils	0.47	0.0018	0.35
Monocytes	0.016	0.21	0.39
Lymphocytes (total)	0.39	0.0077	0.12
B lymphocytes	0.39	0.07	0.019
T lymphocytes (total)	0.32	0.0073	0.015
CD4+ T lymphocytes	0.54	0.018	0.00099
CD8+ T lymphocytes	0.27	0.015	0.22
NK cells	0.36	1.4 E–07	0.36

Group effect, testing for significant differences between patients and healthy control subjects; Time effect, testing for significant changes over time; Group by time interaction, testing for significantly different kinetics between both study groups.

Figure 3. TLR-4, IL-10 and HSPB1 gene expression. Symbols and abbreviations: Δ patients; ○ healthy control subjects;

, total duration of hyperthermia treatment including active heating and heat retention period; bef, baseline measurements immediately before start of hyperthermia treatment around 7:00 a.m.; 0, end of active heating period (achievement of target body core temperature); 1, 1 h after end of active heating (end of heat retention period); 2, 2 h after end of active heating; 3, 3 h after end of active heating; 24, 24 h after end of active heating.

Table 2. Effects of hyperthermia treatment on TLR-4, IL-10 and HSPB1 gene expression (q-values).

	Group effect	Time effect	Group by time interaction
TLR-4	0.11	0.00099	0.44
IL-10	0.017	4.6 E–13	0.0073
HSPB1	0.27	1.5 E–59	0.092

Group effect, testing for significant differences between patients and healthy control subjects; Time effect, testing for significant changes over time; Group by time interaction, testing for significantly different kinetics between both study groups.

Figure 4. Systemic cytokines. Symbols and abbreviations: Δ patients; ○ healthy control subjects;

, total duration of hyperthermia treatment including active heating and heat retention period; bef, baseline measurements immediately before start of hyperthermia treatment around 7:00 a.m.; 0, end of active heating period (achievement of target body core temperature); 1, 1 h after end of active heating (end of heat retention period); 2, 2 h after end of active heating; 3, 3 h after end of active heating; 24, 24 h after end of active heating.

Table 3. Effects of hyperthermia treatment on plasma cytokine concentrations (q-values).

	Group effect	Time effect	Group by time interaction
IFN-γ	0.42	0.31	0.27
IL-12	0.57	0.32	0.42
TNF-α	0.42	0.27	0.44
sIL-2R	0.0022	0.42	0.32
IL-6	0.12	0.27	0.42
IL-10	0.12	0.42	0.42
IL-1β	0.083	0.44	0.44

Group effect, testing for significant differences between patients and healthy control subjects; Time effect, testing for significant changes over time; Group by time interaction, testing for significantly different kinetics between both study groups.

Figure 5. Acute phase reactants. Symbols and abbreviations: Δ patients; ○ healthy control subjects;

, total duration of hyperthermia treatment including active heating and heat retention period; bef, baseline measurements immediately before start of hyperthermia treatment around 7:00 a.m.; 0, end of active heating period (achievement of target body core temperature); 1, 1 h after end of active heating (end of heat retention period); 2, 2 h after end of active heating; 3, 3 h after end of active heating; 24, 24 h after end of active heating.

Table 4. Effects of hyperthermia treatment on acute phase reactants (q-values).

	Group effect	Time effect	Group by time interaction
CRP	0.02	0.055	0.44
α1-AT	0.0029	0.39	0.23
C3c	0.019	0.27	0.11
C4	0.08	0.39	0.42
Haptoglobin	0.0074	0.07	0.25
Transferrin	0.33	0.32	0.25

Group effect, testing for significant differences between patients and healthy control subjects; Time effect, testing for significant changes over time; Group by time interaction, testing for significantly different kinetics between both study groups.