Effects of inhaled tumour necrosis factor alpha in subjects with mild asthma.
BACKGROUND
Inhaled tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has previously been shown to induce airway neutrophilia and increased airway reactivity in normal subjects. It was hypothesised that a similar challenge would increase airway reactivity in those with mild asthma, but that the inflammatory profile may differ.


METHODS
Ten mild asthmatic subjects were recruited on the basis of clinical asthma and either a sensitivity to methacholine within the range defined for asthma or a 20% improvement in forced expiratory volume (FEV(1)) after 200 micro g salbutamol. Subjects inhaled either vehicle control or 60 ng recombinant human (rh)TNF alpha and were studied at baseline, 6, 24, and 48 hours later. Variables included spirometric parameters, methacholine provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) (PC(20)), induced sputum differential cell count, relative sputum level of mRNA of interleukins (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-14, IL-15 and TNF alpha, and the exhaled gaseous markers of inflammation, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide.


RESULTS
PC(20) showed an increase in sensitivity after TNF alpha compared with control (p<0.01). The mean percentage of neutrophils increased at 24-48 hours (24 hour control: 1.1 (95% CI 0.4 to 2.7) v 9.2 (95% CI 3.5 to 14.9), p<0.05), and there was also a rise in eosinophils (p=0.05). Relative levels of sputum mRNA suggested a rise in expression of TNF alpha, IL-14, and IL-15, but no change in IL-4 and IL-5. Spirometric parameters and exhaled gases showed no significant change.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in airway responsiveness and sputum inflammatory cell influx in response to rhTNF alpha indicates that TNF alpha may contribute to the airway inflammation that characterises asthma.
Inflammation Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. paul.thomas@unsw.edu.au
P S
PS
Thomas
G
G
Heywood
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide