Photopheresis, a possible therapy for airway hyperreactivity?
Airway hyperreactivity is an almost universal feature of asthma. The exact origin of this phenomenon is poorly understood. However, there is increasing evidence that T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disorder. This fact makes it challenging to photopheresis to suppress the pulmonar hyperreactivity response. Photopheresis is a therapy for T cell mediated diseases aiming at specific suppression of the pathogenic clone of T cells involved. The use of photopheresis for the treatment of airway hyperreactivity was investigated in this study. We performed experiments in a murine model for airway hyperreactivity. In short, mice were sensitized by cutaneous application of 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene. The immune system was challenged by an intratracheal injection of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and a bronchoalveolar lavage was performed. In this lavage the total number of leukocytes was established and the number of macrophages was determined. It was found that photopheresis treatment was capable to suppress the airway hyperreactivity response for about 80%. In addition, the generated suppression proved to be transferable by splenocytes of treated animals. We conclude that photopheresis can be an interesting therapy for airway hyperreactivity (and perhaps also for asthma) especially when one takes into account that photopheresis induces specific immune suppression and has hardly any adverse effects.
van Iperen
H P
HP
Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Department of Medicinal Photochemistry, The Netherlands. h.iperen@chem.leldenuniv.nl
Beijersbergen van Henegouwen
G M
GM
D000818:Animals; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D017893:Photopheresis; D010853:Picryl Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects
D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; D010853:Picryl Chloride