Linkage of serum ITIH4 with Th2 signature cytokine, inflammation, exacerbation risk and severity in childhood asthma.

ITIH4 has anti-inflammatory properties toward eosinophilic/neutrophilic inflammation. This study aimed to explore clinical value of ITIH4 in childhood asthma. Serum ITIH4 and inflammatory cytokines were determined in 120 childhood asthma patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the entire and acute exacerbation patients, ITIH4 positively associated with IFN-γ, but negatively related to proinflammatory cytokines. ITIH4 was lowest in patients with acute exacerbation, followed by chronic persistent, and highest in clinical remission. By receiver-operating characteristic analysis, ITIH4 potentially estimated acute exacerbation asthma risk. Moreover, ITIH4 negatively related to exacerbation severity in acute exacerbation patients. Serum ITIH4 negatively links with Th2 cell signature cytokine, proinflammatory cytokines, exacerbation risk and severity in childhood asthma.