en Pulmonology Pulmonology Original Article Original Article <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Background</em></strong><em>:</em></span> Pulmonary dysfunctions are frequently encountered after tuberculosis treatment in clinical practice. In the present study, the role of interleukin-10 and 13 in a tuberculosis-associated pulmonary dysfunction was investigated.<br> <span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Methods</em></strong><em>:</em></span> This is a semi-experimental study on 40 patients selected from referral tuberculosis care center in Birjand, Iran, during 2015-2017. The cases with major medical disorders including those with underlying lung disease were excluded from the study. Informed consent was prepared from each patient, and then blood sample was obtained, serum was extracted and refrigerated at -70 C<span dir="RTL">&deg;</span> at the start (time 1), 2 months (time 2) and 6 months (time 3) after onset of treatment for tuberculosis. Spirometry was also performed at time 2. Finally, 24 patients completed the study.<br> <span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Results</em></strong><em>:</em> </span>Of the 24 patients with the mean age of 60.87&plusmn;21.50 years in the study, 9 (37%) were males and 15 (62.5%) were females. Abnormal spirometry was observed in 20 (83.3%) subjects at time 2, of whom 12 (60%) were restrictive and 8 (40%) obstructive. The mean changes of interleukin 10 from the start to end of the treatment were 89.00&plusmn;89.47 (P=1.00), -29.36&plusmn;40.21 (P=0.02) and 3.70&plusmn;29.98 (P=0.1) in patients with normal, obstructive and restrictive spirometery, respectively (normal vs obstructive and restrictive; p<0.01). While in interleukin 10, changes for interleukin-13 were 77.90&plusmn;145.97, 6.35&plusmn;133.10 and -13.35&plusmn;46.66 (P=0.4), respectively.<br> <span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Conclusion</em></strong><em>:</em></span> Upregulation of IL-10 during tuberculosis treatment might be considered as a protective factor against lung dysfunction. In patients with obstructive form, there was a marked decrease in interleukin-10.</span></span><br> <span dir="RTL"></span> cytokine, pulmonary function test, pulmonary tuberculosis 223 227 http://caspjim.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1185-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohammad Hasan Namaei mhnamaei@hotmail.com 100319475328460016853 100319475328460016853 No Infectious Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Sayyed-gholamreza Mortazavi-Moghaddam gmortazavi@yahoo.com 100319475328460016854 100319475328460016854 Yes Vali-e-asre Hospital, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Reza Eslami-manoochehri drreza2020@yahoo.com 100319475328460016855 100319475328460016855 No Vali-e-asre Hospital, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Mahmood Zardast dr.zardast@yahoo.com 100319475328460016856 100319475328460016856 No Vali-e-asre Hospital, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran