Dysregulated serum levels of human tissue kallikreins, hK7 and hK10, as potential biomarkers of asthma

<h4>Background</h4>Asthma is a highly prevalent inflammatory disease worldwide with limited diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.<h4>Objective</h4>This study was conducted to explore the possible role of hK7 and hK10 in asthma progression and evaluate them as potential biomarkers of asthma.<h4>Methods</h4>In total, 74 patients with asthma and 99 normal controls participated in the study. Time-resolved immunofluorometric (TRIF) indirect back-titration (bt) ELISA was employed to measure the expression of hK7 and hK10 in both groups. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.<h4>Result</h4>Results indicated hK7 upregulation and hK10 downregulation in patients with asthma as compared to normal controls. Further non-significant association of hK7 and hK10 expression with patients'age was noted.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This study documents the true or impartial behavior of hK7 and hK10 being evaluated as biomarkers of asthma. The aberrant expression of these hKs can help to design diagnostic and therapeutic measures to control asthma. The associated factors need to be considered as they affect the expression of both KLK proteins. Further work is needed for the exploration and utilization of KLK proteins as drug targets fortherapy.