Investigating IL-22 gene polymorphism in patients afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease

Background & Objective: inflammatory bowel disease is related to a group of chronic inflammatory disorders with unknown etiology which involves the digestive system. This disorder is divided into two major conditions including ulcerative colitis and crohn’s disease. Recent studies show that interleukine-22, a member of IL-10 cytokine family, has influence on inflammatory processes during the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between IL-22 gene polymorphism (rs2227503) and the susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease. Materials & Methods: 89 patients and 201 healthy individuals who referred to the Namazi Hospital of Shiraz, Iran, participated in this case-control study. Blood samples were collected and their genomic DNA were extracted. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms-Polymerase chain reaction technique was performed. Data were analyzed using a Chi-square test.  Results: The frequencies of allele and genotypes in patients and control group were calculated. Although the frequency of G allele was greater in patients and A allele was lower in patients compared with control group, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions:  There is no statistically significant relationship between IL-22 gene polymorphism (rs2227503) and the susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease. More studies are required to clarify the exact role of IL-22 in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease

Comparison of Interleukin-33 serum levels in asthmatic patients with a control group and relation with the severity of the disease

Background: The relation between interleukin-33 (IL-33) and asthma is not precisely known yet. The present study set to compare the serum level of IL-33 in patients with asthma and controls and study the relation with the severity of disease. Methods: The serum level of IL-33 and total IgE in 89 asthmatic patients and 57 controls were analyzed. The association of levels of IL-33 with the severity of disease, levels of total IgE, measures of spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]), age, sex, presence or absence of other allergic diseases, and the disease duration was evaluated. Results: Higher levels of IL-33 and total IgE were detected in asthmatic patients compared with controls (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.008, respectively). In the asthmatic group, a significant direct association of IL-33 with age (P = 0.02, R = 0.23) and with total IgE level (P = 0.003, R = 0.31) were observed, but there was no relationship between other variables. Comparison of mean level of IL-33 in different asthma groups concerning the disease severity showed the statistically significant difference between them and a significant increased serum level of total IgE was observed in more severe disease. The results showed a significant negative correlation between FEV1 and total IgE (P = 0.028, R = −0.23) and IL-33 level (P = 0.0001, R = −0.83). Conclusions: IL-33 is suggested as a new inflammatory marker of severe and refractory asthma. Therefore, it may be a unique therapeutic target in these patients