Elevated serum levels of Interleukin-13 and Interleukin-17A in Pediatric Asthma

Abstract

Sawsan M. Jabbar AL-Hasnawi, Abeer Thaher Naji AL-Hasnawi.

Background: Pediatric asthma is a chronic serious disease, which is difficult to diagnose with heterogeneous etiology. Till now it is not clear how T helper (Th)2 & Th17 pathways interact in pathophysiology of asthma, the dominant pathway can lead to different phenotypes.Th2-low (non Th2) which is mediated mainly by Th17, Th17-high and Th2-high type mediated by Th2 cell subset of lymphocytes are two different phenotypes of asthma.
Objectives: The present study focused on interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a major Th17 cytokine and interleukin-13 (IL-13) a cytokine secreted by Th2 cells trying to elucidate their combined role in airway inflammation.
Method: This is a case-controlled study include 149 children with a mean age of 1-15 years, 74 children with asthma and 75 control healthy subjects performed at asthma clinic outpatient during October 2019 through December 2019. Blood samples from all participants subjected to analysis by ELISA for measurement of IL-17A & IL-13 serum levels. Statistical Package for the Social Science, SPSS, (version 20, IBM, Chicago, Illinois) program was used for data entry and analysis.
Result: High serum IL-13 and IL-17A concentrations (P-value = 0.000), both cytokines are positively correlated, although non-significant statistically (P-value=0.133). IL-13, IL-17A &IgE are more associated with moderate asthma than mild form.
Conclusion: Elevated IL-13 & IL-17A serum levels among asthmatic children compared to control subjects, study suggest Th2-high / Th17-high phenotype in pediatric asthma pathogenesis.