Tonsillar cytokine expression between patients with tonsillar hypertrophy and recurrent tonsillitis

Table 4 Differences in cytokine and transcription factor expression between hypertrophic tonsils and recurrent tonsillitis

Cytokine or transcription factor	Mean differences recurrently infected minus hypertrophic group
	Univariate		Multivariate
	n	Difference of means (95% CI)	Adjusted difference of means (95% CI)	Adjustments
T-helper₁
IFN-γ	88	0.061 (− 0.32, 0.44) P = 0.75	–	–
Tbet	89	− 0.40 (− 0.76, − 0.034) P = 0.03	− 0.21 (− 0.61, 0.18) P = 0.29	Age
T-helper₂
IL-13	89	− 0.74 (− 1.8, 0.36) P = 0.18	–	–
GATA3	89	− 0.12 (− 0.42, 0.18) P = 0.43	–	–
T-helper₁₇
IL-17	89	− 0.35 (− 0.80, 0.096) P = 0.12	− 0.087 (− 0.57, 0.40) P = 0.72	Age
RORC2	89	0.014 (− 0.35, 0.38) P = 0.94	–	–
T-regulatory
IL-10	89	− 0.26 (− 0.61, 0.0871) P = 0.14	− 0.0070 (− 0.38, 0.36) P = 0.97	Age
IL-37	87	− 0.48 (− 0.77, − 0.19) P = 0.001	− 0.31 (− 0.63, − 0.0021) P = 0.049	Age
FOXP3	89	0.091 (− 0.31, 0.49) P = 0.65	–	–
TGF-β	89	− 0.0077 (− 0.32, 0.30) P = 0.96	–	–
Type I/III interferons
IFN-α	87	− 0.41 (− 1.5, 0.7) P = 0.47	–	–
IFN-β	88	− 0.21 (− 1.0, 0.61) P = 0.62	–	–
IL-28	89	− 0.64 (− 1.5, 0.2) P = 0.13	–	–
IL-29	87	− 0.57 (− 1.5, 0.31) P = 0.15	–	–

Data are expressed as mean differences as a recurrently infected group minus hypertrophic group. The data were analysed using backward stepwise linear regression analysis after logarithmic transformation. Only significant co-factors were used as adjustments in the final model
CI, confidence interval; IFN, interferon; Tbet, T-box transcription factor; IL, interleukin; GATA3, GATA-binding factor 3; RORC, RAR-related orphan receptor C; FOXP, forkhead box protein; TGF, tumour growth factor
Significant values are shown in italic

ISSN: 2045-7022