title: [Changes of regulatory T cells and T helper cells in peripheral blood and their roles in the severity evaluation in children with asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper cells (Th1/Th2) in peripheral blood and their roles in the severity evaluation in children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty children with asthma were classified into acute attack (94 cases) and remission (56 cases) groups according to their clinical features, and the acute attack children were subdivided into mild asthma (54 cases) and severe asthma (40 cases) groups. Fifty healthy children were enrolled as a control group. The levels of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg, CD4+IFN-γ+ Th1 and CD4+IL-4+ Th2 in peripheral blood were measured by flow cytometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean levels of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg and the ratio of Th1/Th2 in asthmatic children were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). The Treg levels and the ratio of Th1/Th2 in the acute attack group were lower than those in the remission group and in the control group (P<0.01). The Treg levels in the severe asthma group were lower than those in the mild asthma group (P<0.01). There was a remarkably negative correlation between Treg levels and the asthma severity (r=-0.737, P<0.01), and the Th1/Th2 ratio was also negatively correlated with the asthma severity (r=-0.615, P<0.01). The Treg levels were positively correlated with the Th1/Th2 ratio (r=0.856, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Treg levels decrease remarkably and Th subsets imbalance occurs in children with asthma. This suggests that Treg and Th immunity play important roles in the pathogenesis of asthma. The Treg levels and the ratio of Th1/Th2 in peripheral blood may be useful in the evaluation of severity in children with asthma.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yu-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Bang-Shun
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tian-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*