Evaluation of Interleukin ۳۳ and ST۲ Serum Concentration in Active Tuberculosis Patients

The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of ST۲ protein and interleukin-۳۳ in patients affected to tuberculosis and compare them with the control group. In the present study, at first ۳۰ patients affected to TB were randomly selected and ۵۲ healthy individuals, who were matched with respect to their age and gender, included in the study as the control group. After that, the serum levels of sST۲ and IL۳۳ were measured by ELISA sandwich method using commercial Quantikine Human ELISA kit (R&D Systems). The data were finally analyzed by SPSS software. IL-۳۳ levels in the TB group were higher than the healthy controls and a statistically significant difference was observed in the IL-۳۳ levels between the two groups (P = ۰.۰۲۱). Moreover, IL-۳۳R (ST۲) was slightly increased in the TB patients compared to the healthy controls, although statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (P = ۰.۰۸۳). Regarding the high normal variation of sST۲ and the limitations of the present study, it is recommended that future studies of sST۲ be performed in with higher number of TB patients.