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.