title: [Changes in IL-17 and TGF-β1 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and their clinical significance among children with asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in the levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and their clinical significance among children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six children with asthma were divided into moderate or severe asthma (n=37) and mild asthma groups (n=19) and 18 children without asthma were selected as the control group. Cells in BALF were counted under a microscope. The levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF were measured using ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  were no significant differences in total cell count and percentage of macrophages between the two asthma groups and the control group (P>0.05). The percentages of neutrophils, eosinophils and epithelial cells in BALF were significantly higher in the two asthma groups than in the control group (P<0.05). The two asthma groups had significantly higher levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF than the control group (P<0.05), and the moderate or severe asthma group had significantly higher levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF than the mild asthma group (P<0.05). Levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum were significantly positively correlated with those in BALF (r=0.935 and 0.943, P<0.05 for both). In children with asthma, serum IL-17 level was significantly positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophils, eosinophils and epithelial cells in BALF (r=0.802, 0.799, and 0.674, P<0.05 for all), and a significant positive correlation was also seen between serum levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 (r=0.878, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF are elevated in children with asthma. IL-17 and TGF-β1 may be involved in the occurrence and development of asthma, and they play important roles in asthma attack and aggravation.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China. 1216254374@qq.com.
authors: Kun
authors: K
authors: Jiang
authors: He-Bin
authors: HB
authors: Chen
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Jia-Hui
authors: JH
authors: Lin
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Hu
authors: Yu-Rong
authors: YR
authors: Fang
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1