title: Changes in interleukin-17 and transforming growth factor beta 1 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and their clinical significance among children with asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in the levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and their clinical significance among children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 56 children with asthma were divided into moderate or severe asthma (n=37) and mild asthma groups (n=19) and 18 children without asthma were selected as the control group. Cells in BALF were counted under a microscope. The levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in total cell count and percentage of macrophages between the two asthma groups and the control group (P>0.05). The percentages of neutrophils, eosinophils and epithelial cells in BALF were significantly higher in the two asthma groups than in the control group (P<0.05). The two asthma groups had significantly higher levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF than the control group (P<0.05), and the moderate or severe asthma group had significantly higher levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF than in the mild asthma group (P<0.05). The serum levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 were positively correlated with those in BALF (r=0.935 and 0.943, both P<0.05). In children with asthma, serum IL-17 level was positively correlated with the percentages of neutrophils, eosinophils, and epithelial cells in BALF (r=0.802, 0.799, and 0.674, all P<0.05), and a positive correlation was also seen between serum levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 (r=0.878, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF are elevated in children with asthma. IL-17 and TGF-β1 may be involved in the occurrence and development of asthma, and they play important roles in asthma attack and aggravation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China.
authors.forename: He-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan 430016, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Fang
keywords: Asthma; children; interleukin-17 (IL-17); transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)
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