title: [Association between suppressors of cytokine signaling mRNA expression and Th1/Th2 balance in children with asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) have been shown to play an important role in regulating cytokines, such as intracellular interferon (IFN) and interleukin (IL), in the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway. At present, the association between SOCS and asthma is still under study. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with the intracellular IFN-'/IL-4 ratio in CD4+ T cells and specific IgE (sIgE) level in children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  BMCs were collected from 44 children with allergic asthma (4-14 years) and 30 healthy children. The intracellular IFN-'/IL-4 ratio in CD4+ T cells was measured by flow cytometry. Total RNAs were extracted from the PBMCs and SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 mRNA expression was measured by SYBR Green I quantitative RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the healthy children, children with allergic asthma showed a lower level of intracellular IFN-' in peripheral blood [(15.7±2.0)% vs (19.1±2.7)%] and IFN-'/IL-4 ratio (3.4±1.5 vs 4.8±2.9) and higher SOCS-1 mRNA expression (-Ct, 11.1±1.9 vs 12.6±2.8). There was a negative relationship between SOCS-1 mRNA expression and the percentage of IFN-'-producing CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood in both asthmatic and healthy children (P<0.05). No correlation was found between SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 expression and sIgE level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with allergic asthma have elevated levels of SOCS-1 mRNA in PBMCs, which is associated with Th2-skewed immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiration, Wuxi Children's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214023, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Juan-Juan
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Hui-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Xiao-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000071222:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Protein; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C108944:SOCS1 protein, human; C106644:SOCS3 protein, human; D000071222:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Protein; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma