title: Expression of interleukin-5 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in aspirin-sensitive and non-aspirin-sensitive asthmatic airways.
abstract: Increased numbers of eosinophils and mast cells in the bronchial mucosa are characteristic features in subjects with aspirin-sensitive asthma. Interleukin-5 (IL-5) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) are involved in the activation, maturation, and perpetuation of survival of eosinophils. Immunohistochemical techniques were therefore used to study the expression of IL-5 and GM-CSF on frozen bronchial biopsies from 13 aspirin-sensitive asthmatic (ASA) and 8 non-ASA (NASA) subjects. Aspirin sensitivity was diagnosed by lysine-aspirin inhalation provocation. ASA airways demonstrated a significant 2-fold increase in the total number of submucosal inflammatory cells expressing IL-5 (p = 0.03) and approximate 4- and 2-fold increases in the numbers of mast cells expressing IL-5 and GM-CSF (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively). There was also a 4-fold increase in the number of eosinophils expressing IL-5 (p = 0.004). These results suggest a central role for the mast cell and eosinophil in regulation of the inflammatory cell infiltrate of ASA airways by secretion of the hemopoietic cytokines IL-5 and GM-CSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Guy's Hospital, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Lams
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015848:Interleukin-5; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D001241:Aspirin