Clinical Significance of Serum Interleukin-18 Concentration in the Patients with Atopic Dermatitis.
10.3343/kjlm.2007.27.2.128
- Author:
Do Sim PARK
1
;
Young Hoon YOUN
Author Information
1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea. email@wonkwang.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; English Abstract
- Keywords:
Interleukin 18;
Atopic dermatitis;
Cytokine
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Adult;
Child;
Child, Preschool;
Dermatitis, Atopic/*diagnosis;
Female;
Humans;
Immunoglobulin E/blood;
Interleukin-18/*blood;
Male;
ROC Curve;
Severity of Illness Index
- From:The Korean Journal of Laboratory Medicine
2007;27(2):128-132
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-18, a potent inducer of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), is known to have a role in diseases involving type-2 T helper cell responses including atopic dermatitis. In this study, we aimed to determine the clinical significance of serum IL-18 level in the patients with atopic dermatitis. METHODS: Serum concentration of IL-18, IFN-gamma, IgE, and blood eosinophil were measured in the patients with atopic dermatitis and healthy control subjects, and their association with the clinical score of the disease was analysed. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of IL-18 were significantly elevated in patients with atopic dermatitis compared to the healthy controls (332 pg/mL vs 151 pg/mL, P<0.05). Serum levels of IL-18 (r=0.41, P=0.001), eosinophil (r=0.36, P=0.003), and IgE (r=0.32, P=0.009) correlated with clinical scores in the patients. Also, multiple regression analysis indicated that serum IL-18 and IgE levels were independent predictors for the clinical score of atopic dermatitis (r2=0.25, beta=0.39, P=0.001 and beta=0.32, P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed a significant correlation between the concentration of serum IL-18 and the severity of atopic dermatitis. Although serum IL-18 concentration reflects the disease severity, its usefulness as a clinical test needs to be further investigated, because its additive benefit over those of conventional blood tests is not evident so far.
