Abstract OBJECTIVE: This study examined the changes of serum levels of interleukin 12 ( IL-12), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) and immunoglobulin E ( IgE) in children with asthma as well as the correlation of IL-12 and TGFβ1 with IgE in order to investigate their roles in asthma. METHODS: Serum levels of IL-12 , TGFβ1 and IgE were detected using ELISA in 85 asthmatic children at the acute and the remission stages. Thirty healthy children served as control group. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, serum IL-12 and TGFβ1 levels were significantly lower and serum IgE levels were significantly higher in the asthmatic group through the acute to the remission stages. Serum IL-12 and TGFβ1 levels (40.42±15.26 ng/L and 65.41±22.38 pg/mL) significantly increased in the asthmatic group at the remission stage compared with those at the acute stage (28.42±10.73 ng/L and 40.25±11.73 pg/mL) (P<0.01), but remained lower levels than those in the control group (67.42±20.58 ng/L and 178.54±90.56 pg/mL) (P<0.01). The asthmatic patients at the remission stage showed significantly decreased serum IgE levels (145.67 ±51.25 IU/mL) compared with those at the acute stage (280.35 ±80.54 IU/mL) (P<0.01), but the IgE level in the remission stage was obviously higher than in the control group (53.61±13.32 IU/mL) (P<0.01). Serum IL-12 and TGFβ1 levels were negatively correlated with serum IgE level in asthmatic children. CONCLUSIONS: There might be an imbalance in serum IL-12, TGFβ1 and IgE levels in asthmatic children. IL-12, TGFβ1 and IgE may play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. They may be useful in the diagnosis and severity evaluation of asthma
