TY - JOUR T1 - The role of IL-18 level and genetic polymorphism in patients with bronchial asthma and its relation to disease severity JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P476 AU - Abeer Kassem AU - Nermin Hossam Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P476.abstract N2 - Background: Asthma is a complex multifactorial disease with an obvious genetic predisposition, immunological aberration, and involvement of environmental factors. Interleukin -18(IL-18) is a unique cytokine that enhances innate immunity and both Th1- and Th2-driven immune responses. Objective: The aim of this case control study was to evaluate the role of IL-18 and genetic polymorphism in asthmatic patients, its relation to asthma severity. Subjects and Methods: Thirty patients with bronchial asthma and Thirty normal control subjects were enrolled in this study and were subjected to asthma questionnaire, spirometric studies, measurements of serum IL-18 using Human IL-18 Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay kit and IL- 18 polymorphism was analyzed using allele specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), at positions -607 in the promoter of the IL-18 gene. Results: There was statistical significant increase in serum IL-18 in severe asthmatic patients in relation to the other two asthmatic groups and control group (F=1105.259P=0.0001*).There was no significant difference between asthmatic patients and control group in−607C>A IL18 Allele distribution or frequencies. No significant association was observed with various disease characteristics. Conclusion: Although the−607C>A IL-18 Allele genetic analysis were insignificant between asthmatic and control, we found significant increase in serum IL-18 and degree of asthma severity. So our results need to be replicated by further studies possibly with other IL-18 genetic variants. ER -