Table 3.
Expression of cytokines as determined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
| Gene | Non-smokers with normal lung function (n = 9) | Smokers with normal lung function (n = 7) | Mild to moderate COPD (n = 9) | Severe COPD (n = 15) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RORC2 | 0·80 ± 0·03 | 0·74 ± 0·04 | 0·83 ± 0·05 | 0·77 ± 0·04 |
| IL-17A | 0·76 ± 0·03 | 0·79 ± 0·02 | 0·74 ± 0·03 | 0·78 ± 0·04 |
| IL-17F | 0·95 ± 0·03 | 0·97 ± 0·01 | 0·98 ± 0·03 | 1·00 ± 0·01 |
| IL-21 | 0·53 ± 0·03 | 0·51 ± 0·03 | 0·57 ± 0·07 | 0·55 ± 0·04 |
| IL-22 | 0·50 ± 0·03* | 0·55 ± 0·06 | 0·63 ± 0·04 | 0·69 ± 0·09 |
| IL-23A | 0·78 ± 0·03** | 0·91 ± 0·01 | 0·93 ± 0·01 | 0·91 ± 0·02 |
*
P < 0·01 versus mild to moderate and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) groups;
**
P < 0·001 versus all other groups. No other comparisons between groups were significant. Relative levels of mRNAs expressed as the ratio Ct gene of interest/Ct housekeeping Ct [guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) – GNB2L]. IL, interleukin.