The association of plasma cytokines including VEGF with recurrent wheezing in allergic patients

Background: Various cytokines have been studied to determine their functions in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and their potential as therapeutic targets, but the roles and clinical applicability of many of these cytokines still remain unclear. Objective: We aimed to measure the plasma levels of eight cytokines known to be relevant to allergic diseases, and to determine their association with the diagnostic characteristics of allergic patients. Methods: The levels of a panel of eight cytokines (IL-5, IL-10, IL12p70, Leptin, CXCL5/ENA-78, CCL2/MCP-1, PDGFBB, and VEGF) were measured in plasma obtained from 83 allergic patients. We investigated whether the cytokine levels differed between children and adults. Statistical analyses were then performed to examine their association with the diagnostic characteristics of allergic patients. Results: The levels of leptin, CCL2/MCP-1, PDGFBB, and VEGF were significantly higher in adult patients with allergic rhinitis than in children. Among patients with asthma, the levels of leptin and PDGFBB were elevated in adults. PDGFBB and VEGF levels were significantly associated with asthma. Interestingly, there was a significant association between VEGF level and recurrent wheezing regardless of the analyzed conditions. The levels of VEGF and PDGFBB or CCL2/MCP-1 showed a significant increase together in the presence of recurrent wheezing in child patients. Conclusion: The plasma levels of four cytokines, particularly VEGF, showed significant associations with some diagnostic characteristics in allergic patients. We suggested that plasma VEGF, which performs pleiotropic functions in allergic responses, could serve as a serological marker relevant to recurrent wheezing in allergic patients.