OBJECTIVETo investigate the serum IL-33 and sST2 levels in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), and explore their clinical significance.

METHODSTotal 27 HSP patients and 22 healthy controls were enrolled in present study. The expressions of IL-33 and sST2 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the mRNA expression of IL-33 and sST2 were detected in all subjects.

RESULTSThe level of the IL-33 in the serum of HSP group and control group was 365.5±160.6 pg/ml and 175.9±92.8 pg/ml(P< 0.05). The level of the sST2 was increased in the serum of HSP group (1788.6±523.8 pg/ml) as compared with that in control group (1083.6±489.6 pg/ml)(P>0.05), but the ratio of sST2/IL-33 in HSP patients was much lower than that in the controls(P<0.05), IL-33 and sST2 mRNA levels were up-regulated in HSP patients by 5.47±1.97-fold(P<0.05) and 3.13±2.01-fold(P<0.05) compared with controls, but sST2/IL-33 significantly decreased in HSP patients(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe levels of IL-33 and sST2 increase in the serum of HSP patients, but the ratio of sST2/IL-33 is much lower than that in control.