[The role of IL-18 in allergic rhinitis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the roles of IL-18 in the perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR).


METHODS
We measured IL-18 concentration in sera of 30 PAR patients and 20 health control subjects with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
The concentration of IL-18 in PAR patients [(424.12 +/- 60. 47) ng/L] was significantly higher compared to health control subjects [(210.71 +/- 57. 37) ng/L](P<0.01) and the concentration of L-18 in PAR patients with asthma [(591.19 +/- 46.54) ng/L] was significantly higher than those without asthma [(352.52 +/- 64.25) ng/L](P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The IL-18 is high in PAR patients and the persistence of elevated IL-18 concentration suggests its role in the expression of persistence and exacerbation of allergic inflammation.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Ming
M
Zhang
Lisi
L
Liu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology*
D020382:Interleukin-18