A Study On The Relationship Between IL-18,IL-13 And The Pathogenesis Of Asthma

Objective:The research aimed to investigate the association between IL-18, IL-13 and the pathogenesis of asthma, as well as its clinical significance, by detecting the serum concentration of IL-18, IL-13 in normal subjects and bronchial asthma patients at different disease control levels.Subjects and Methods:1. We recruited 49 asthma cases and subdivided them into two groups, 19 cases as the under-controlled group and 30 cases as the uncontrolled group, according to the GINA 2006 classification criteria published by WHO and NHLBL in 2006. Twenty normal subjects were selected to be the control group. One milliliter peripheral venous blood was taken from each study subject. 2. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the concentration of IL-18, IL-13 in the study subjects'serum. 3. The clinical features of the asthma patients were compared. 4. The serum concentrations of IL-18, IL-13 were compared between different groups and the correlation of IL-18 and IL-13 was also analyzed.Results:1. There was no significant different between males and females in the incidence of asthma and disease control level, with the p value of 0.393 and 0.187, respectively. 2. The mean age of the uncontrolled group was significantly higher than the under-controlled group (p=0.000). 3. The uncontrolled group had significantly more cases complicated with lower respiratory tract infection and COPD than the under-controlled group (p=0.032 and p=0.021). 4. The serum IL-13 concentration of the uncontrolled group (67.79±5.24pg/ml) was statistically significantly higher than those of the under-controlled group (52.59±1.19pg/ml) and the control group (51.70±0.84 pg/ml), with the p value of 0.008 and 0.005, respectively. However, the serum IL-13 concentrations of the under-controlled group and the control group were not statistically different (p=0.543). 5. The serum IL-18 concentrations of the uncontrolled group and the under-controlled group were not significantly different, nevertheless, they were both higher than those of the control group. 6. In the uncontrolled group, the concentrations of IL-18 and IL-13 were positively correlated (r=0.81,P=0.000). However, correlation did not exit in the under-controlled group (r=-0.314,P=0.176).Conclusion:1. Th2 type cytokine IL-13 was higher in the uncontrolled group than the under-controlled group and control group, indicating that the balance of Th1/Th2 cell immune is destructed in asthma patients. The effects of Th2 cell immune are predominant. 2. IL-18 was high secreted in the patients. These findings suggest IL-18 may increase the secretion of Th2 type cytokine, such as IL-13, to cause onset of asthma, although the treat of anti-inflammatory could not decrease the IL-18 level in asthma patients'serum, they may break the association between IL-18 and Th2 type cytokine, such as IL-13, and hence could the disease be controlled, But this deduction is not quiet distinct. 3. Detect the level of IL-18 and IL-13 in the asthma patients may develop to be the diagnosis the asthma and the judgment of the asthma control levels. 4. Lower respiratory tract infection,eld and COPD may trigger the onset of asthma or make it more difficult to control the disease, but gender is not associated with the onset and disease control level of asthma.