Interleukin-33 and receptor ST2 as indicators in patients with asthma: a meta-analysis

IL33/ST2 axis activates airway eosinophils that exacerbate airway inflammation. The data was obtained from PubMed, EMBASE, Clinical trial, Cochrane Library, Web of science, CNKI and Wanfang database with time restrictions of 1 Jan, 2000 to 15 Feb, 2016. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.2 software. After searching, total 15 documents were included into this meta-analysis, involving in 633 asthma patients and 379 healthy people. The meta-analysis results revealed that the serum IL33 or ST2 level was higher in asthma patients compared to that in healthy people. (P=0.02, 95% CI (7.57, 72.74); P<0.0001, 95% CI (31.27, 91.32)). Compared to healthy people, severe, moderate or mild asthma patients had much higher serum IL33 level. (P<0.00001, 95% CI (87.86, 188.09); P<0.00001, 95% CI (31.93, 72.29); P<0.00001, 95% CI (100.51, 153.08), respectively). The serum ST2 level in different asthma progress included severe or moderate was higher, (P<0.00001, 95% CI (50.76, 76.93); P<0.00001, 95% CI (1.02, 1.79), respectively) but nor mild. (P=0.30, 95% CI (-22.37, 72.61)). The meta-analysis result shown the sputum IL33 was not higher in moderate asthma patients than that in healthy people. (P=0.20, 95% CI (-1.99, 9.52)) The meta-analysis results shown that there were significantly difference between and among two asthma progress, (P<0.00001, 95% CI (14.02, 19.09), severe vs moderate; P<0.00001, 95% CI (0.52, 1.24), moderate vs mild) However, there was no significant differences between severe group and mild group. (P=0.08, 95% CI (-20.95, 336.50)). Serum IL33 and ST2 level is relevant to asthma disease. With asthma disease progress, IL33 and ST2 are increased significantly.