Serum IL-18R1 and its effect on immune cell infiltration in asthma.

OBJECTIVE

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease, affecting 5-10% of the global population. Despite its widespread impact, underdiagnosis remains a significant concern. This study aimed to explore the diagnostic potential of interleukin 18 receptor 1 (IL-18R1) and its relationship to immune cell infiltration in asthma.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected clinical and laboratory data of all participants. The expression of serum IL-18R1 in patients with asthma and healthy controls was quantified using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The associations of IL-18R1 with clinical laboratory indicators and the diagnostic efficacy of IL-18R1 for asthma were assessed. Bioinformatic analysis was used to explore the biological function of IL-18R1 in asthma.

RESULTS

Peripheral blood white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (NE), eosinophils (EO) and serum IL-18R1 were significantly elevated in patients with asthma compared to heathy controls. Patients with high IL-18R1 also had increased blood lymphocytes. The expression of IL-18R1 was associated with diverse immune cell infiltration and inflammatory pathways. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis revealed a positive relationship between IL-18R1 and asthma. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the combination of IL-18R1 with WBC was 0.884, with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.8% and 81.8%.

CONCLUSION

Elevated expression of IL-18R1 is linked to the infiltration of various immune cells and the activation of inflammatory pathways. The combination of IL-18R1 and WBC may be a biomarker with high diagnostic accuracy for asthma.