Wu G, et al. - In patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), researchers examined serum levels of periostin and assessed its diagnostic and monitoring value in the disease. For this investigation, they involved patients with ABPA (n = 19) and asthma (n = 24), including severe asthma with fungal sensitisation (SAFS, n = 11) and severe asthma without fungal sensitization (SAwFS, n = 13). By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum levels of periostin were analysed. Compared to those in SAFS (50.99 ng/mL, [32.02-71.80] ng/mL), serum levels of periostin in ABPA patients (85.55 ng/mL, [68.28-166] ng/mL) were higher. Serum periostin levels were positively linked to total IgE levels, serum IL-5 levels and blood eosinophil counts. Longitudinally, after treatment in ABPA, serum periostin levels did not change significantly. Findings suggested that serum levels of periostin were up-regulated in ABPA patients, which might be related to eosinophilic inflammation.