The Study of IL-10 and IL-17A Genes Expression in Patients with Different Stages of Asthma: a Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND: Asthma is considered as a complex disorder in which genetics and environment play crucial role in its susceptibility. In addition to the huge financial costs that significantly reduce the quality of life of the patients and their families, it causes high prevalence of lung diseases. Finding contributing new genetic factors involved in early diagnosis or progression of asthma can provide novel approaches for treatment or managing of asthma. In the present study, the potential role of two key cytokines of IL-10 and IL-17A was investigated in asthma pathogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using real-time PCR technique, we analyzed the expression levels of target genes in two groups of mild and severe asthma patient in comparison with healthy individuals. RESULTS: In comparison with control population, obtained data showed 4 and 7-fold down-regulation of IL-17A in the group of mild and severe asthma, respectively. Down-regulation of IL-17A showed a significant correlation with progression of asthma severity. While IL-10 showed up to 10-fold down-regulation in the group of severe asthma, its expression level was not correlated with severity of asthma. CONCLUSION: Obtained data revealed that deregulation IL-10 and IL-17A have potential to play crucial role in pathogenesis and prognosis of asthma. Observed down-regulation of these cytokines in blood cells suggests their usefulness as a marker in diagnosis of asthmatic types in patients.