The Clinical Significance Of RANTES, MIP-1 α And IL-8 In Peripheral Blood Of Patients With Bronchial Asthma

Objective: To explore the roles of regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted( RANTES),macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha(MIP-1 a )and interleukin-8(IL-8) in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma and to investigate the clinical value of these chemokines in evaluating severity of asthma. Meanwhile, to analyze the correlation among RANTES, MIP-1a and IL-8 during the different states of asthmaticus.Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 56 patients with acute attack of asthma( mild 10, moderate 22, severe 24),20 patients in stable stage, 12 healthy persons as controls. ELISA methmod was used to determine the concentrations of RANTES, MIP-1a and IL-8 in serum.Results: Serum levels of RANTES, MIP-1 a and IL-8 in acute attacks were much higher than those in stable stage and control group (P<0.01) . RANTES, MIP-1 a and IL-8 levels in patients with severe acute asthma were higher than those in moderate and mild stage patients either in normal control group (p<0.05) ,RANTES, MIP-1 a and IL-8 levels in patients with moderate acute asthma were higher than those in mild stage patients and normal control group (p<0.05) . An efficient antiasthma treatment led to significant decrease in RANTES, MIP-1 a and IL-8 levels in patients with asthma. The serum concentration of MIP-1 a had a positive correlation with IL-8 levels in acute attack patients(r=0.404, p<0.01).Conclusions: RANTES, MIP-1 a and IL-8 levels in serum had a relation with acute attacks of asthma, these chemokines were involved in the asthmatic process, possibly by activating inflammatory cells. RANTES, MIP-1 a and IL-8 may be the markers of asthma attack and may help to judge the severity of asthma. There was a positive correlation between MIP-1 a and IL-8.