Objective:

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic diseases worldwide. T lymphocytes play an important role in the development and control of this disease. This study aimed to measure the levels of Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cell-specific transcription factors (GATA-3, RORγt, and FOXP3, respectively) in the blood of AR patients treated with glucocorticoids (GCs) compared to those in healthy controls.

Materials and Methods:

Blood samples were collected from 32 patients with AR treated with GCs and 20 healthy individuals. RNA was extracted from the blood cells, and cDNA was synthesized. The expression levels of GATA-3, RORγt, and FOXP3 were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Serum IgE levels in the patients and controls were measured using ELISA.

Results:

Our results showed that AR patients expressed significantly higher levels of FOXP3 and lower levels of GATA-3 than healthy controls. However, the level of RORγt was not significantly different between the patients and healthy controls. In addition, serum IgE levels were higher in patients with AR than in the controls.

Conclusion:

These results showed that treatment of patients with GCs increased FOXP3 expression and decreased GATA-3 expression but had no significant effect on RORγt expression.

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