title: The relationship of T helper-2 pathway components interleukin-4, interleukin-10, immunoglobulin e, and eosinophils with prognostic markers in non-hodgkin lymphoma: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is associated with infections and environmental agents. We hypothesized that these factors chronically trigger the T helper-2 (Th2) pathway and result in lymphoma. We investigated the role of the Th2 pathway by exploring the relationships between components of the Th2 pathway, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, immunoglobulin E (IgE), and eosinophils, and prognostic markers of NHL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one NHL patients and 27 healthy controls were enrolled. IL-10, IL-4, IgE, and eosinophils were measured. IL-4 and IL-10 were analyzed with the enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High IL-10 levels were correlated with several poor prognostic features, short early survival, and lymphopenia. There was a positive correlation between albumin and IL-4 levels and a negative correlation between IL-10 and albumin. There was no relationship related with eosinophils and IgE. We found remnant increased IL-4, which could be a clue for the triggering of the Th2 pathway in the background.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for differently designed studies to detect the place of the Th2 pathway in NHL.
authors.affiliation: 19 Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Hematology, Samsun, Turkey. E-ma-il: nilvecay@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Güler
authors.forename: Engin
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authors.lastname: Kelkitli
authors.forename: Hilmi
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authors.lastname: Atay
authors.forename: Dilek
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authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Hasan
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authors.lastname: Bek
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authors.lastname: Özatlı
authors.forename: Mehmet
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authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Levent
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authors.lastname: Yıldız
authors.forename: İdris
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authors.lastname: Yücel