الفهرس 
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Abstract
Summary
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by an obstruction of airflow, which may be completely or partially reversed with or without specific therapy. Airway inflammation is associated with airway hyperreactivity or bronchial hyper responsiveness (BHR), which is defined as an inherent abnormal response of the airways to a wide variety of specific and non-specific stimuli resulting in increased airflow limitation.
Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is considered an important chemotactic factor, involving neutrophil recruitment and activation; it is also active on primed eosinophils. It can be secreted by many structural and immune cells, including bronchial epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and macrophages. Some studies have reported increased serum levels of IL-8 during asthma attacks and allergic dermatitis. IL-8 level also increases in the induced sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of asthmatics, suggesting the involvement of IL-8 in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and allergic diseases.
The aim of the present study is to evaluate the IL-8 mRNA levels (gene expression) in childhood bronchial asthma through a case–controlled study and to assess its correlation to clinical (age, age of onset, sex, duration, severity, asthma control), laboratory (total serum IgE, absolute eosinophilic count) and spirometry.
Three hundred and twenty patients participated in the present cross-sectional case-controlled observational study divided into case group (160 patients) and control group (160 normal children with no history of asthma or any other chronic diseases) in the period from March 2018 to March 2019.Their ages ranged from 5 to 16 years with a mean 6.3 ±3.58 and a male to female ratio 1.35:1 and all of them were regularly followed up in the pediatric clinic.
The two groups (case and control) were subjected to the following investigations:
Interleukin-8 gene expression: The mRNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCS) and the determination of IL-8 mRNA levels of expression was performed by the real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR).
Spirometry
Chest X-ray
CBC (eosinophilia)
Immunoglobulin E
The study showed the following results:
There was a statistical significant correlation between IL-8 gene expression and asthma as patients showed significant increase in IL-8 gene expression as compared to control group.
There was a statistical significant correlation between IL-8 gene expression and asthma severity as IL-8 gene expression increases by increasing asthma severity.
IL-8 gene expression was positively correlated with pattern of symptoms as patients with continuous pattern of symptoms showed significant higher IL-8 gene expression as compared to patients with paroxysmal pattern of symptoms.
IL-8 gene expression was negatively correlated with spirometry parameters (FEV1and FEV1/FVC) as increasing levels of IL-8 gene expression was associated with decreasing FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio.