The Role of Interleukin-27 In Patients With Allergic Rhinitis: A Single Center Study

Background: A newly discovered cytokine called interleukin-27 (IL-27) has both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects in various illnesses. But up until now, its role in the pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis (AR) was unclear. The purpose of this research was to measure IL-27 serum levels in individuals with AR and to look into the relationship between these levels and the clinical characteristics and severity of the illness. Methods: The interleukin 27 (IL-27) serum level was detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Samples of serum were gathered from 108 AR patients from Allergy and Immunology Clinic at Zagazig University Hospitals and 108 normal controls. Results: Compared to normal controls, AR patients had reduced serum levels of IL-27 with mean of 22.2 ± 12.1 pg/mL in AR patients versus 42.5 ± 16.5 pg/mL in the control group (p <0.05). In order to diagnose AR, using ROC curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value for IL-27 was 27.2, with an AUC of 0.953, sensitivity 94.4 %, and specificity 97%. The IL-27 serum levels showed negative correlation with clinical severity of AR (r = -0.569, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings showed a correlation between Th2 response and reduced serum levels of IL-27 in AR patients. Serum IL-27, an easy and rapid test, can help in the diagnosis of AR. In the future, IL-27 could be a focus of AR treatment.