title: Serum IL-33 Is Elevated in Children with Asthma and Is Associated with Disease Severity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of IL-33, a member of the IL-1 family, in airway hyperresponsiveness and asthma has still to be fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study is aimed at investigating serum IL-33 in children with asthma and its association with asthma severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This age- and sex-matched case-control study comprised 61 children with asthma and 63 healthy controls. The mean age of the participants was 9.21 years (range: 6-14). Serum IL-33 was measured using ELISA and was compared between children with asthma and controls. In addition, the association of serum IL-33 with asthma severity was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of serum IL-33 was significantly higher in children with asthma than in controls (15.17 ± 32.3 vs. 0.61 ± 2.16 pg/ml; p = 0.028). It was significantly increased proportionately to asthma severity, namely 9.92 ± 30.26 pg/ml in children with mild asthma, 13.68 ± 29.27 pg/ml in children with moderate asthma and 31.92 ± 41.45 pg/ml in children with severe asthma (p = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum IL-33 is increased in children with asthma and is associated with disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sedigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahrami Mahneh
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Movahedi
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aryan
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bahar
authors.forename: Arezou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezaei
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadr
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rezaei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D000067596:Interleukin-33 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: C506536:IL33 protein, human; D000067596:Interleukin-33