In vitro interleukin-5 production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells is increased in patients with asthma.
To determine whether the capacity of interleukin-5 (IL-5) production is increased in patients with asthma, we studied in vitro IL-5 production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 27 asthmatics (16 allergic asthmatics and 11 nonallergic asthmatics) and 10 normal subjects. IL-5 production of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated PBMC was significantly greater in asthmatics than in normal subjects (p < 0.02). IL-5 production of PBMC by IL-2 stimulation was also significantly increased in asthmatics compared with that of normal subjects (p < 0.05). In contrast, IL-2 production of PHA-stimulated PBMC did not significantly differ between asthmatics and normal subjects. In addition, the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in PBMC or CD4+/CD8+ ratio did not significantly differ between asthmatics and normal subjects, whereas CD25+ T cells were significantly increased in asthmatics compared with those of normal subjects (p < 0.02). Finally, there was no significant correlation between the in vitro IL-5 production of PBMC and blood eosinophil counts in asthmatics and normal subjects. Our results indicate that the capacity of IL-5 production, but not of IL-2 production, is increased in asthmatics. The increased capacity of IL-5 production might be involved in the migration and activation of eosinophils in the airways of asthmatics.
Endo
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
Iwamoto
I
I
Nakajima
H
H
Yoshida
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5