Interleukin-17 gene expression and serum levels in children with severe asthma.
BACKGROUND
IL-17 is a major cytokine player in T cell mediated leukocyte associated inflammation. IL-17 is also recognized to participate in the pathophysiology of asthma.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the role of IL-17 in predicting severe asthma.


METHODS
We obtained serum samples from asthmatic children under the age of 5-year in three different groups of mild (n=33), moderate (n=28) and severe (n=32) persistent asthma. IL-17 serum concentrations and mRNA expression were determined by ELISA and real time PCR assays, respectively.


RESULTS
Serum IL-17 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with severe asthma than the other two groups of children with mild and moderate disease (p=0.00). Mean serum IL-17 values were 142.04 pg/ml in mild group, 180.4 pg/ml in moderate group and 251.25 pg/ml in severe group. IL-17 mRNA levels were also significantly elevated in severe asthmatic patients compared to mild and moderate asthmatic children (p=0.00).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data reveal an increase in the serum IL-17 concentration and IL-17 mRNA expression in children with severe asthma compared to those with mild and moderate forms of the disease.
Allergy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, e-mail: alyasins@sums.ac.ir.
Soheila
S
Alyasin
Mohammad Hossein
MH
Karimi
Reza
R
Amin
Maryam
M
Babaei
Sepideh
S
Darougar
D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D020381:Interleukin-17