Correlation study between T lymphocyte-related cytokines and the outcome of chronic immune thrombocytopenia in children

Abstract

Objective To detect the levels of cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and analyze their significance in the clinical prognosis of children with chronic ITP. Methods Thirty patients with chronic ITP who were treated in the Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical Univercity from October 2015 to October 2018 were followed and enrolled in the experimental group and 40 healthy children in the same hospital were enrolled in the healthy control group.The levels of interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor(TNF), interleukin-4(IL-4), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-10(IL-10) and interleukin-17A(IL-17A) in the experimental group and the healthy control group were detected by flow cytometry (CBA). The relationship between cytokines and prognosis of children with chronic ITP were analyzed. Results Thirty patients with ITP were enrolled. The expressions of IL-2 and IL-17A in the experimental group before treatment were (7.86±3.90) ng/L and (10.45±12.35) ng/L, while those of IL-2 and IL-17A in the healthy control group were (3.11±2.41) ng/L and (2.97±7.04) ng/L. The levels of IL-2 and IL-17A in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group, and the differences were statistically significant (t=-7.123, -5.582, all P 0.05), and no significant difference in the levels of cytokines between the patients with chronic ITP before and 12 months after treatment (P>0.05). Conclusions The changes of T lymphocyte related cytokines are closely related to the pathogenesis and development of chronic ITP in children. There may be persistent immune dysfunction in children with chronic ITP. Dynamic monitoring of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17A, especially IL-17A, is helpful to judge the prognosis of ITP in children, and may be of guiding significance in evaluating clinical prognosis. Key words: Chronic; Immune thrombocytopenia; T lymphocyte-related cytokines; Outcome; Child