CC16 ROLE IN BRONCHIOLITIS IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Abstract

Introduction. CC16 protein is secreted by Club epithelial cells of the bronchioles, maintains homeostasis of theairway epithelium and has anti-inflammatory effects in the lungs. It is important to study the level of CC16 proteinin the serum in order to understand the integrity of the bronchial epithelium and the development of bronchialdysfunction in young children with bronchiolitis.Aim of the study. Analysis of blood serum CC16 concentration in younger bronchiolitis patients.Material and methods. We clinically examined 70 young children. The main group consisted of 35 non-allergicbronchiolitis patients. The comparison group included 25 young bronchiolitis patients with a history of allergies.The control group comprised 10 conditionally healthy children. The average age of patients was 8.4 ± 1.6 months,6.2 ± 1.4, and 6.4 ± 1.2 months in the main, comparison, and control group, accordingly. The complex of clinicaland-laboratory examination of children included CC16 serum tests. Serum CC16 content was determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay according to the “Human CC16 ELISA Kit”.Results of the study. It should be noted that the most main group patients (22 (62.8 ± 6.4%) of all examined) hadelevated CC16 readings. Whereas in the comparison group we did not find an increase in CC16 protein in any case.In contrast, 13 (51.8 ± 14.4%) children with bronchiolitis with a history of allergy had a decrease in CC16 protein,which may be a sign of endothelial dysfunction (p = 0.01).The study showed that young non-allergic bronchiolitis patients had the mean CC16 (38.9 ± 4.5 ng/ml) significantlyhigher than those with a history of allergies (22.9 ± 3.3 ng/ml), (OR=1,667; 0,854 - 3,250 95% CI; p < 0,05). Thecontrol group patients had the mean CC16 within the reference interval (14.2 ± 2.12 ng/ml).Conclusions. In young children, elevated CC16 may be considered a marker of respiratory failure in bronchiolitispatients. Bronchiolitis patients with a history of allergies had statistically significantly lower serum CC16 levels thanthose in children without a history of allergies.