Clinical Characteristics of Interferon-Gamma-Inducible Protein 10 in Children with Wheezing

Rationale: Recent studies have shown that levels of interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10) are increased in patients with acute bronchiolitis and asthma. This study examined IP-10 levels in children with wheezing and determined their correlation with other clinical findings.   

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 62 patients with wheezing who were hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections or who visited emergency room with dyspnea. Serum IP-10 levels were determined at hospital admission by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation of serum IP-10 levels with age, sex, blood eosinophil count, allergic sensitization, history of wheezing, and chest radiograph findings was evaluated.

Results: Significant negative correlation was observed between age and serum IP-10 levels (P = 0.002). In addition, serum IP-10 levels were significantly increased in patients showing infiltration on chest radiographs compared with patients showing normal inflation or hyperinflation on chest radiographs (P < 0.009). No significant correlation was observed between serum IP-10 levels and other parameters, including allergic sensitization.

Conclusions: Our results showed that serum IP-10 levels were correlated with the age of children with wheezing. In addition, our results suggested that IP-10 may play a role in inflammation and may be a biomarker of lung inflammation. However, further studies should be performed to establish the association between allergic inflammation and serum IP-10 levels.