Role of interleukin-8 in bronchial asthma

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on 40 asthmatics [20 with mild asthma and 20 with severe asthma] as well as 20 age and sex matched healthy subjects as controls. The concentration of IL-8 in its free form was measured in sera from all subjects and in bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] from subjects with mild asthma and ten subjects from the control group. This study showed a significant increase in the concentration of free IL-8 in the serum of subjects with severe asthma compared with subjects with mild asthma and the control group. The study also showed an insignificant difference in serum IL-8 level between subjects with mild asthma and control group. In patients with mild asthma, the concentration of IL-8 in BAL was insignificantly higher compared with the control subjects. The concentration of IL-8 in BAL was significantly higher compared with its value in the serum of patients with mild asthma and the control subjects: