title: Cytokines in symptomatic asthma airways.
abstract: To determine whether cytokines are generated in vivo in subjects with asthma, we have measured cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor [TNF], granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF], interleukin [IL]-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6) in the airways of subjects with symptomatic (N = 24) and asymptomatic (N = 9) asthma with immunoassays (GM-CSF, IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, and IL-4) or bioassays (TNF and IL-6) and the polymerase chain reaction (IL-1 beta and TNF). Significant levels of TNF (578 +/- 917 pg/ml versus 24 +/- 29 pg/ml) (p = 0.01), GM-CSF (24 +/- 41 pg/ml versus less than 8 pg/ml) (p = 0.02), and IL-6 (225 +/- 327 pg/ml versus 7 +/- 12 pg/ml) (p = 0.01), but not IL-1 alpha or IL-4, were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with symptomatic compared with BALF of patients with asymptomatic asthma. Levels of IL-1 beta (266 +/- 270 pg/ml versus less than 20 pg/ml) (p = 0.001) and IL-2 (1.4 +/- 2.8 ng/ml versus less than 0.3 ng/ml) (p = 0.05) in BALF in patients with symptomatic compared with that in BALF levels in patients with asymptomatic asthma suggested activation of alveolar macrophages and T cells. Thus, in episodes of asthma, several cytokines, including TNF, GM-CSF, IL-1 beta, IL-2, and IL-6 are detectable in BALF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California-San Diego.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Broide
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotz
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Coburn
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Federman
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Wasserman
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007378:Interleukins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D012313:RNA; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor