Effects of oral steroids on blood CXCR3+ and CCR4+ T cells in patients with bronchial asthma.
Corticosteroids are widely used in bronchial asthma, but their mechanism of action is not fully understood. The in vitro studies have proposed that human T helper cells, type 1 (Th1) favor expression of CXCR3, whereas Th2 cells favor CCR4. In this study we investigated whether oral prednisolone modulates the balance of peripheral blood CXCR3+ and CCR4+ T cells. We analyzed the T-cell subsets in 28 patients with stable atopic asthma and 13 normal control subjects before and after 2 wk of treatment with prednisolone, 20 mg/d, or placebo in a randomized, double-blind, parallel group study. The numbers of CXCR3+ and CCR4+ memory T cells were measured with a flow cytometer, and expressed as percentages in CD4+/CD45RO+ memory T cells. In the steroid-treated asthma group, there was a decrease in CCR4+ T cells (from 29.3% to 20.3%, p < 0.0001), and an increase in CXCR3+/ CCR4+ ratio (from 1.86 to 2.89, p = 0.0047), whereas there was no change in CXCR3+ T cells. However, the percentages of CCR4+ cells did not change after steroid therapy in normal control subjects. These results suggest that short-term oral corticosteroid modulates the balances of CXCR3+ and CCR4+ cells in patients with asthma.
Kurashima
K
K
Third Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanzawa City, Ishikawa, Japan. kazu_k@d2.dion.ne.jp
Fujimura
M
M
Myou
S
S
Kasahara
K
K
Tachibana
H
H
Amemiya
N
N
Ishiura
Y
Y
Onai
N
N
Matsushima
K
K
Nakao
S
S
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; C515187:CXCR3 protein, human; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D011239:Prednisolone