Expression and clinical significance of VCAM-1, IL-6, and IL-17A in patients with allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a high incidence, affecting the quality of life of patients. The aim of the present study was to explore the expression and clinical significance of vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-17A in patients with allergic rhinitis.

A total of 180 patients with allergic rhinitis, who were admitted to our hospital from March 2017 to March 2020, were enrolled as the observation group. Patients were further divided into 3 subgroups according to the degree of severity of allergic rhinitis as follows: the mild group (n=66), the moderate group (n=60), and the severe group (n=54). During the same period, 188 people without allergic rhinitis, who underwent physical examination in our hospital, were enrolled as the control group. VCAM-1, IL-6, and IL-17A levels were compared between these groups, and the correlation between the 3 levels and allergic rhinitis was analyzed.

VCAM-1, IL-6, and IL-17A levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Comparison results of VCAM-1, IL-6 and IL-17A levels among the 3 groups were as follows: mild group < moderate group < severe group, and the differences between the three groups were significant (P<0.05). Pearson linear correlation showed that serum levels of VCAM-1, IL-6 and IL-17A were positively correlated with ARIA (P<0.05). Parent history of allergic rhinitis, living environment pollution, abnormally elevated VCAM-1, abnormally elevated IL-6 and abnormally elevated IL-6 were the related risk factors for inducing allergic rhinitis (P<0.05).

VCAM-1, IL-6, and IL-17A play important roles in allergic rhinitis, and the concentration will increase with disease progression. Clinical testing of VCAM-1, IL-6, IL-17A should be increased to improve the diagnostic rate for early allergic rhinitis and to prevent disease progression.