ABSTRACT
Objective To detect the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-25 and IL-33 in peripheral blood of patients with chronic urticaria.Methods Ninety-three patients with chronic urticaria were included in this study along with 30 healthy individuals.All the patients were treated with loratadine for four weeks.Blood samples were collected from the healthy controls and patients before and after the four-week treatment.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the serum levels of IL-25 and IL-33.The relationship between the expression levels of the two cytokines and urticaria severity was analyzed.Results The serum levels of IL-25 and IL-33 in the patients before treatment were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (IL-25,139.86 ± 28.48 vs.114.41 ± 34.00 ng/L,P ＜ 0.01; IL-33,91.95 ± 21.88 vs.79.80 ± 30.72 ng/L,P ＜ 0.05),and positively correlated with the severity of urticaria (r =0.38,0.42,respectively,both P ＜ 0.01).After four weeks of treatment,clinical improvement was observed in 81.72％ of these patients with a significant decrease in the serum IL-25 level (116.48 ± 21.94 vs.139.86 ± 28.48 ng/L,P ＜ 0.01),but no obvious changes in the serum IL-33 level (90.88 ± 20.62 vs.91.95 ± 21.88 ng/L,P ＞ 0.05) compared with those before treatment.Conclusions The expressions of IL-25 and IL-33 are elevated in peripheral blood of patients with chronic urticaria,and positively correlated with the severity of urticaria.
ABSTRACT
[Objective] To assess the role of imbalance between regulatory T (Treg) cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD).[Methods] Peripheral blood was obtained from 41 patients with AD and 38 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.Flow cytometry was performed to determine the percentage of Treg cells (CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells) and Thl7 cells (CD4+ILl7+ T cells),real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR to detect the mRNA expressions of Foxp3 and RORγt,which are the specific transcription factors of Treg and Th17 cells respectively.Serum concentrations of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β,IL-17 and IL-23 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Data were statistically assessed by independent-samples t test and Pearson correlation analysis.[Results] The patients with AD showed an obvious decrease in Treg cell percentage,transcription factor Foxp3 mRNA level and Treg/Th17 ratio (2.01％ ± 0.57％ vs.5.04％ ± 1.44％,t =12.47,P＜ 0.01; 0.65 ± 0.19 vs.1.71 ± 0.69,t=9.47,P＜0.01; 1.26 ± 0.61 vs.14.53 ± 5.77,t =14.11,P ＜ 0.01),but a significant increase in peripheral Th17 cell percentage and transcription factor RORγt mRNA level (1.77％ ± 0.55％ vs.0.39％ ± 0.15％,t =14.82,P ＜0.01; 5.97 ± 1.45 vs.1.49 ± 0.57,t =17.78,P ＜ 0.01 ) compared with the healthy controls.Further comparison revealed that Treg/Th17 ratio was significantly lower in patients with acute AD than in those with subacute AD (0.88 ± 0.04 vs.1.29 ± 0.11,t =4.02,P ＜ 0.01 ) and those with chronic AD (2.05 ± 0.24,t =4.83,P ＜ 0.01 ),statistically different between patients with subacute AD and chronic AD (t =2.89,P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in the serum concentration of TGF-β between patients with AD and healthy controls ((15.28 ± 2.34) μg/L vs.(16.56 ± 3.27) μg/L,t =1.96,P＞ 0.05).A significant increase was observed in the serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in patients with AD compared with those in the healthy controls( (33.24 ± 7.06)ng/L vs.(11.68 ± 2.67) ng/L,t =17.96,P＜ 0.01; (56.35 ± 12.16) ng/L vs.(18.43 ± 3.90) ng/L,t =18.36,P＜ 0.01).In patients with moderate and severe AD,SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index was negatively correlated with the percentage of Treg ceils (r =-0.40,P＜ 0.05 ),but positively correlated with that of Th17 cells (r =0.42,P ＜ 0.05 ).[Conclusion]s There exists a change in Treg/Th 17 ratio,mRN A expressions of RORγt and Foxp3,and serum levels of relevant cytokines in patients with AD,which may lead to immune imbalance and subsequently contribute to the development of AD.