title: Plasma interleukin 33 level in patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head: an alarmin for osteonecrosis of the femoral head?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines plasma interleukin 33 (IL-33) levels in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) and explores the possible use of IL-33 as a marker for early diagnosis and progression of ONFH.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty-five ONFH patients and 126 control subjects were recruited for this study. The plasma IL-33 levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Effects of disease stage and risk factors on IL-33 level were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma IL-33 levels were significantly higher in the 125 ONFH patients (174.33 [SD, 65.73] pg/mL) than in the 126 control subjects (90.50 [SD, 25.17] pg/mL, P < 0.001). Plasma IL-33 levels were significantly higher in patients with stage III/IV ONFH (184.17 [SD, 43.75] pg/mL) than in patients with stage I/II ONFH (158.24 [SD, 50.11] pg/mL, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in IL-33 levels between alcohol-induced, idiopathic, and steroid-induced cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma IL-33 may be an alarmin for ONFH, and its levels may be related to disease progression.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Orthopedics, 2nd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liwen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wanchun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiangdon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xinzhang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Aiyong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C506536:IL33 protein, human; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins