interleukin-12 peripheral blood levels in asthmatic childreninterleukin-12哮喘儿童外周血水平.pdfVIP

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Interleukin-12 Peripheral Blood Levels in Asthmatic Children Ruth Soferman, MD, Idit Rosenzwig, MD, and Elizabeth Fireman, PhD Interleukin-12 (IL-12) was measured in 45 asthmatic children aged 3 to 16 years. The assessments were performed on 20 children during an episode of acute exacerbation and on 25 children during remission. There was no significant difference between the mean IL-12 level during exacerbation (1.63 6 2.08 pg/mL) and during remission (0.88 6 0.56 pg/mL) (p 5 .83). A positive, but insignificant, correlation was found between forced expiratory volume in 1 second and IL-12 (p 5 .634). IL-12 levels were significantly lower in children with a positive family history of asthma (1.13 6 1.78 pg/mL) compared with those without (1.31 6 1.06 pg/mL) (p , .012), supporting the theory that the gene–environment interactions affect the immune responses. IL-12 peripheral blood levels had no detectable impact on the course of established asthma in the study population. Key words: asthma, family history, IL-12 he prevalence of atopic asthma, a T helper (Th)2- domestic environment.10 The functional active form of IL- Tdependent disease, is reaching epidemic proportions, 12 is a heterodimer composed of two disulphide-linked possibly owing to improved hygiene in industrialized chains, p35 and p40, secreted by APCs11 and by activated countries.1 The chronic inflammation of the airways in Th1 cells; this heterodimer downregulates Th2 responses.12 asthma is characterized by the presence of Th2 cells in Studies in asthma models concluded that the admin- sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, and mucosal biopsy istration of IL-12 before and during the period of allergen specimens,2 and the dominance of Th2 cells is responsibl