Comparison between the in vitro cytokine production of mononuclear cells of young asthmatics with and without immunotherapy (IT)

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Abstract
Background: The underlying mechanisms of immunotherapy (IT) are still unknown but may be related to modifications of cytokine production of T lymphocytes.Objective: In this study we determined the in vitro allergen‐induced production of IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐12 and IFNγ of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of eight young asthmatics, aged 15 ± 2 years, receiving IT (IT group) and of eight comparable asthmatics, aged 13 ± 3.5 years, who never received IT (non‐IT group).Methods: All patients suffered from perennial asthma and were allergic to house dust mite (HDM). They were selected if they showed a positive stimulation index (SI) of PBMC after in vitro incubation with HDM (i.e. SI > 2). Cells were incubated with and without HDM (10 μg/mL) during 24 h, 48 h and 7 days. Cytokines were determined in the supernatant at the three time points and are expressed as median values in pg/mL.Results: In the IT group the secretion of IL‐2 was lower compared with the non‐IT group after 7 days incubation of PBMC with HDM (0 vs 33.2, P = 0.008). In both groups maximal secretion of IL‐2 was observed after 48 h. In the non‐IT group a high value of IL‐2 persisted after 7 days, whereas in the IT group a significant decline of IL‐2 occurred after 7 days. Although IL‐4 secretion was low in all subjects, more patients of the non‐IT group showed detectable IL‐4 in the HDM cultures after 24 h and 48 h, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.08 and P = 0.28, respectively). Furthermore, IL‐4 secretion was lower in the HDM cultures after 24 h in the IT group (1.75 vs 4.1, P = 0.011) and 48 h (2.2 vs 4.1, P = 0.035). IL‐5 secretion was lower in the HDM cultures after 24 h (12.4 vs 47.6, P = 0.035) and 48 h (26.8 vs 135, P = 0.046) in the IT group than in the non‐IT group. After 7 days of incubation with HDM there was no difference between the groups. There was no difference between both groups in secretion of IFNγ and IL‐12.Conclusions: These results show a difference in vitro cytokine secretion of PBMC of asthmatics receiving IT compared with asthmatics who never received IT. PBMC of patients receiving IT secrete less IL‐2 and IL‐5 after in vitro incubation with HDM and show a tendency to secrete less IL‐4. The efficacy of IT may be attributed to a modified cytokine secretion of PBMC.

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