Pro-inflammatory cytokines among individuals with skin findings long-term after sulfur mustard exposure: Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study

► Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines in normal control were higher than the exposed group, who had only skin findings. ► The differences were statistically significant only for IL-1α and TNF-α. ► Down regulation of inflammatory cytokines may be due to a damage incurred upon precursors of cytokine producing cells ► This down regulation may be due to failure of the cells functions. ► This down regulation may be due to increase in suppressive mediators or other mechanisms which are not well known.