الفهرس 
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Abstract
BA is one of the world’s most common chronic diseases and it represents an important cost factor for health care system. It is a serious global health problem. Cytokines play a key role in the modulation of immune responses. There are inter-individual variations in cytokines production which may be attributed to SNPs in the DNA of these cytokines. These variations influence the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti- inflammatory cytokines and might affect the severity as well as the treatment outcome of the bronchial asthma.
IL-4, IL-6 and IL-18 play an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. This study was carried out on seventy five asthmatic patients and seventy five healthy subjects were included as a control group. Patients were classified according to their severity into three groups, mild, moderate and severe. Venous blood samples were collected from all patients and healthy controls.
Genomic DNA from venous blood of subjects included in the study was extracted. SNPs in IL-4, and IL-18 were genotyped by PCR- Sequence Specific Primer (PCR-ssp). SNPs in IL-6 were genotyped by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP -PCR). The patients age range was 18-60 years (mean = 43.2) while that of the healthy controls was (mean = 39.7).The genotype distribution for IL-4 polymorphism (590 C <T) were not significantly different among healthy control subjects and asthmatic patients as the frequency of the CC, TC and TT among patients were 32 %, 42.7 % and 25.3 % while among healthy control subjects, the frequency were 36 %, 42.7% and 21.3 % respectively. The genotype distribution for IL-6 (572 G <C ) polymorphism were not significantly different among the asthmatic and control group as the frequency of CC, GC and GG among patients were 1.3 % ,33.3 % and 65.4 % while among control subjects , the frequency were 0 % , 26.7 % and 73.3 % respectively. The genotype distributions for the IL-18 (137 G <C ) polymorphism were significantly different among healthy and control subjects as the frequency of CC, GC and GG were 4%, 0 % and 96 % while among control subjects, the frequency were 0 %, 10.7 % and 89.3 % respectively.
No significant different was found in genotype distribution of different asthmatic group, mild, moderate and severe in IL-4 (590 C <T), IL-6 (572 G < C) and IL-18 (137 G <C) SNP. In conclusion, IL-4 (590 C <T) SNP and IL-6 (572 G <C) SNP didn’t affect BA in Egyptian patients included in our study.IL-18 (137 G <C) SNP is a risk factor of asthma in Egyptian patients.
Future studies should include more patients for more reliable assessment. Considering that BA is a complex disease, the hetero-genecity of disease may cause research results to be in consistent. And the statistical power of a small sample associated analysis, there for, there is a need for larger studies to suggest any role of this cytokine gene polymorphism in BA and cytokine role in asthma severity.