title: [Polarization and immune regulation of TH cells in children with bronchial asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the polarization and immune regulation of TH cells in patients with bronchial asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight hospitalized children with bronchial asthma (ranging from 4-12 years old) and 29 age-matched healthy children (Control group) were enrolled in this study. Serum IL-2 and IFN-gamma levels were detected using ELISA. The percentage of TH1 and TH2 cells was detected by intracellular staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of IL-2 (15.94 +/- 3.07 microg/L) and IFN-gamma (487.2 +/- 43.6 pg/mL ) in asthmatic patients were significantly lower than those in the Control group (24.73 +/- 4.37 microg/L and 654.07 +/- 14.64 pg/mL respectively; P < 0.01). The percentage of TH1 in asthmatic patients decreased significantly compared with that in the Control group [(11.24 +/- 2.43)% vs (16.67 +/- 2.73)%; P < 0.01]; in contrast, the percentage of TH2 increased compared with that in the Control group [(19.85 +/- 4.46)% vs (16.08 +/- 6.17)%; P < 0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma, and the number of TH1 cells decreased in asthmatic patients. The decreased number of TH1 cells and the ratio of TH1/TH2 suggest an abnormal polarization of TH1 and TH2 cells. The changes may be associated with the inhibition of cellular immune function in asthmatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Women and Children's Medical Center of Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong 266011, China. jyh05832@sohu.com
authors.forename: Yu-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ya-Qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kuan-Zhou
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D016764:Cell Polarity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma