title: Induced sputum levels of IL-33 and soluble ST2 in young asthmatic children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interleukin-33 is an IL-1 family cytokine which signals via its T1/ST2 receptor, and acts as a key regulator of inflammation, notably the type-2 response implicated in asthma. This study aims to measure the expression of soluble ST2 (sST2) and IL-33 in asthmatic children, depending on disease activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven children with well-defined asthma (20 moderate and 17 mild asthmatics) were studied. IL-33 and sST2 were measured by ELISA in serum and induced sputum (IS) samples, and compared with 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to determine IL-33 and TNF-α mRNA expression in IS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sST2 and IL-33 levels in IS and serum were significantly higher in patients compared with healthy controls (p = 0.0001). The increase in sST2 and IL33 was significantly more important in moderate cases than in mild asthma. A significant correlation was observed between serum and IS IL-33 levels (r = 0.497; p = 0.0018). Higher levels of IL-33 mRNA were detected in IS from asthmatics than those observed in controls. A significant correlation was found between TNF-α and IL-33 mRNA expression in the asthmatic subjects (r = 0.772, p = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Values of sST2 and IL-33 observed in IS were found to correlate with disease activity. Elevated IL-33 mRNA expression in IS and its correlation with TNF-α reflected the inflammatory process observed in the lung of young asthmatics.
authors.affiliation: Hospital A. Mami, Department of respiratory diseases, Pavillon B .
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamzaoui
authors.forename: Anissa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berraies
authors.forename: Wajih
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kaabachi
authors.forename: Maalmi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haifa
authors.forename: Jamel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.forename: Hamzaoui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C079241:IL1RL1 protein, human; C506536:IL33 protein, human; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha