Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Monitoring

Inflammation is a weapon used by the body to fight against health threats such as trauma and infection. However, these are not its only purposes. In fact, there are forms of inflammation that are not triggered by microbes or lesions. This type of inflammation can subtly endanger your health, without triggering noticeable symptoms.

Keeping inflammation levels below alert limits can help reduce risk factors for diseases associated with silent inflammatory phenomena.

With CYTOBALANCE, the Bioscience Institute provides a platform for monitoring cytokines, which are the molecules associated with inflammation. The goal is to identify or prevent, in healthy and asymptomatic people, physiological or pre-pathological conditions that prepare the onset of the most common chronic diseases today.

CYTOBALANCE Brochure

Inflammation

Inflammation can be triggered by both microbes and many other stimuli, including trauma, nutrition, stress, and damage to cell structures. As life expectancy increases, the immune system must deal with all these stimuli for a long time. As a result, the inflammatory state can increase significantly, transforming into the so-called “chronic low-grade inflammation“.

Chronic low-grade inflammation

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a major cause of frailty and the development of diseases during aging. It is in fact associated with health problems such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, and cancers. Furthermore, it is a major cause of death. Therefore, counteracting it can help both to extend life-expectancy and to do so in the best possible state of health.

L'inflammaging

Inflammaging is a chronic, low-grade, non-infection-associated form of inflammation that develops during aging. It is mainly triggered by signals coming from inside the organism that chronically activate the immune system, for example the presence of residues of cells or oxidized proteins. This chronic activation promotes a metabolic response that until middle age is essential for the survival of the organism. However, it often happens that during aging, the inflammatory response increases to harmful levels. To this can be added the accumulation of “aged” cells, the reduction of the ability to resolve inflammation and, according to the so-called “garbaging theory” (from the English word “garbage”).

La metaflammation

Excess malnutrition (that is, the type of malnutrition that depends on an excess of nutrients) can also contribute to the development of chronic inflammatory states. This specific type of chronic inflammation is associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes and is called “metabolic inflammation” or “metaflammation“.”.

Molecules linked to inflammation

The most important molecules associated with inflammatory processes include cytokines, for example interleukins (IL) 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 17A, GM-CSF (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor), TNF-α (Tumor necrosis factor α) and interferon (IFN) α and γ. Another molecule associated with inflammation is C reactive protein (CRP). Its production is stimulated by cytokines such as IL-6, and its presence is considered a reliable signal of inflammation even in the case of chronic low-grade inflammation.

Why monitor pro-inflammatory cytokines?

Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated neither with the classic symptoms of acute inflammation (swelling, pain, redness, and heat) nor with other symptoms or signs. For this reason, to detect its presence it is necessary to analyze the molecule levels involved in inflammatory processes, such as cytokines and C reactive protein (CRP).

With CYTOBALANCE it is possible to monitor 9 different markers of inflammation through a simple blood test.

The detection of levels higher than those considered in the norm indicates the presence of an asymptomatic low-grade state of inflammation and the need to fight it to protect one’s health.

Targeted action on one’s lifestyle can help reduce the stimuli that feed the detected state of inflammation. Depending on the case, it could be useful to act, for example, on nutrition, or on stress levels. Even the intake of food supplements based on active ingredients capable of modifying inflammation, always combined with an adequate lifestyle, can be useful.

Further investigations can help both to identify the factors on which to act to reduce the inflammatory state (for example the microbiome analysis) and to evaluate the effects of the inflammation detected (in particular the analysis of genomic instability).

Cytokines and health status

Proinflammatory cytokines are synthesized by immune system cells to regulate inflammatory responses. When they are produced for a limited period of time, they have a positive effect. On the other hand, when their production is constantly high, as happens in the case of low-grade chronic inflammation, they can be harmful and favor the development of chronic diseases.

Some cytokines also regulate CRP production. The presence of this molecule is considered a synonym for inflammation. In fact, its levels are very low in healthy people, while they rapidly increase with inflammation. Not only that, CRP levels are associated with the development of inflammation-related diseases, such as tumors. For example, higher CRP concentrations are associated with an increased risk of colorectal and breast cancer and a lower level of survival from esophageal, stomach, colorectal, liver, pancreatic and ovarian cancers.

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Indications

CYTOBALANCE is a cytokine level monitoring program suitable for anyone wishing to control inflammation. Developed for healthy and asymptomatic individuals, it can be particularly useful:

during aging
to fight inflammaging, the inflammation associated with advancing age
in high-stress situations
because stress is a major cause of inflammation
when a healthy and balanced diet is not followed
because excess malnutrition and poor eating habits promote metabolic inflammation
in case of exposure to proinflammatory molecules
hormones, smoking, and other toxic substances can promote inflammation
in case of intestinal dysbiosis
alterations in the intestinal bacterial flora are associated with an increase in proinflammatory cytokines

How the test is performed

With CYTOBALANCE it is possible to monitor the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels by taking a simple blood sample.

The sample will be sent to the Bioscience Institute laboratories, where it will be analyzed to determine the levels of the 13 inflammation markers included in the test. The profile obtained does not represent the diagnosis of a pathology but enables, with the advice of qualified experts, the development of strategies to fight low-grade chronic inflammation with an adequate lifestyle and to evaluate the usefulness of specific food supplements.

The subsequent analysis will be planned based on the cytokine levels detected, individual history and other stable factors by the reference experts.

Request CYTOBALANCE

Request more information on how to take the CYTOBALANCE test. By monitoring the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in your blood, you can reduce the risk factors for developing inflammation-associated diseases.

Email info@bioinst.com or fill out the form below to be contacted, without any commitment on your part, by one of our experts.

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