title: [Role of IL-18/IL-18BP balance in spleen of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of IL-18 and IL-18BP balance in the spleens of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 12 active ITP patients and 10 normal controls were recruited. Their expressions of IL-18 and IL-18BP were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence. The mRNA expressions of IL-18, IL-18BP, IFN-γ and IL-4 were studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of IL-18 was higher in the ITP patients than that of the normal control group (100% vs 90.0%). And the positive rate of IL-18BP was higher in the ITP patients than that of the normal control spleen (83.3% vs 60.0%). The relative amount of mRNA gene expression of IL-18 was increased 6.0-fold in active patients compared to controls (P<0.05). But the elevated mRNA content of IL-18BP failed to compensate for the sharply elevated content of IL-18. As compared with the normal control group, the expression level of IFN-γ mRNA expression was significantly increased 10.2-fold in ITP patients (P<0.05). The decrease observed in IL-4 was 41.7% in active patients compared to controls (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IL-18/IL-18BP imbalance plays an important role in pathogenesis of ITP and its correction may become a potential therapeutic target for ITP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, China.
authors.forename: Ning-ning
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020382:Interleukin-18; C118370:interleukin-18 binding protein