[Increased IL-19 level in peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis is related with clinical severity].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the level of interleukin-19 (IL-19) in the peripheral blood of the patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and reveal the possible role of IL-19 in the development of disease.

METHODS

The levels of IL-19 mRNA and protein in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) of AR patients and healthy controls were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and ELISA. The clinical severity in AR group was evaluated by the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. Moreover, PBMCs from the AR group were stimulated by recombinant IL-19 or PBS, and then the frequency of Th2 cells, levels of GATA binding protein-3 (GATA-3) mRNA and IL-4 protein in PBMCs were detected by flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and ELISA, respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the level of IL-19 in the AR group was significantly elevated. In addition, RQLQ and VAS scores in the AR group were also significantly higher than those in the controls, and they were positively correlated with the levels of IL-19 in the AR group (rmRNA-RQLQ=0.673, rmRNA-VAS=0.619, protein-RQLQ=0.669, protein-VAS=0.662, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The level of IL-19 in the peripheral blood of AR patients increased and was related with the clinical severity of AR.