Soluble l‐Selectin as an Independent Biomarker of Bronchial Asthma

BackgroundWe sought to determine the association of plasma level of soluble l‐selectin (sL‐selectin) and F206L polymorphism of l‐selectin with asthma.MethodsA total of 90 asthmatic patients and 90 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy controls were enrolled. The plasma level of sl‐selectin was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. An amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect F206L polymorphism of l‐selectin.ResultsThe mean plasma levels of sl‐selectin was significantly higher in the patients with asthma than the controls (2113 ± 466 vs. 1664 ± 322 ng/ml, P = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index demonstrated that plasma levels of sl‐selectin are an independent biomarkers for asthma (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.42–2.24). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for sl‐selectin was 0.792, 95% CI (0.732–0.862), P = 0.0001. Individuals with the minor homozygote of F206L polymorphism of l‐selectin demonstrated a higher level of sl‐selectin than the major homozygous (2319 ± 732 vs. 1917 ± 453 ng/ml, P = 0.02). No association was found between F206L polymorphism of l‐selectin with asthma.ConclusionOur study suggests that plasma level of sl‐selectin is an independent biomarker for asthma.