title: Level of IL-16 and Reticulated Platelets Percentage during the Clinical Course of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Children.
abstract: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an immune-mediated acquired disease with transient or persistent decrease of thrombocytes number in the blood. Cytokines play important roles in the immune regulation and are known to be deregulated in autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to investigate serum IL-16 levels in relation to reticulated platelets in children with ITP and platelet count. Twenty six children with ITP (11 with newly diagnosed ITP, 9 with persistent ITP and 6 with chronic ITP) and 12 age-matched healthy children controls were studied. Serum level of IL-16 and reticulated platelets count were assessed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry respectively. Serum IL-16 levels were significantly higher in patients as compared to controls (P < 0.001). Within patients, the levels were higher in newly diagnosed compared to persistent and chronic ITP (P < 0.01) and (P < 0.001) respectively. IL-16 levels were also significantly higher in persistent ITP compared to chronic ITP (P < 0.001). Reticulated platelets were also elevated in patients compared to controls and the increase was significant in newly diagnosed group (P < 0.05). Negative correlation was found between IL-16 level and reticulated platelets and platelets counts (r = -0.284, P = 0.028, r = 0.274 P = 0.25) respectively. It is concluded that IL-16 may be valuable in predicting the clinical course of pediatrics ITP. Measurement of reticulated platelets may provide significant information about thrombopoietic activity during the clinical course of ITP in children.
authors.forename: Reem R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Abd El-Glil
authors.forename: Effat H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Assar
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019410:Interleukin-16