title: Apoptosis and B-cell lymphoma-2 of peripheral blood T lymphocytes and soluble fas in patients with allergic asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  s: The dysregulation of apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis-related molecules of allergen-reactive T lymphocytes have been suggested to play a key role in the development and maintenance of the inflammatory reactions in allergic asthma. Glucocorticoids are effective drugs for treating allergic inflammation. In this study, we investigated the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on the apoptosis and B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 expression of peripheral blood T lymphocytes as well as the soluble form of Fas (sFas) in allergic asthmatic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 41 allergic asthmatic patients and 30 age-matched and sex-matched control subjects were treated with 0.1 and 1 micro M DEX. The percentages of apoptosis and expression of the Bcl-2 molecule in T lymphocytes were assessed by flow cytometry. The plasma concentration of sFas was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DEX (0.1 and 1 micro M) could induce the apoptosis of T lymphocytes from allergic asthmatic patients and control subjects in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. The apoptotic susceptibility of T lymphocytes to DEX and the plasma sFas concentration were significantly higher in allergic asthmatics. The ex vivo expression of Bcl-2 was significantly lower in the T lymphocytes of asthmatic patients than in those of the control subjects. However, DEX did not have any significant effect on the expression of Bcl-2 in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The T lymphocytes of asthmatic patients have higher apoptotic susceptibility to DEX treatment in vitro and a lower expression of the Bcl-2 molecule.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Cheong-Yip
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Chun-Kwok
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Fanny Wai-San
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Christopher Hok-Sum
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Alice Sheng-Sheng
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: David Shu-Cheong
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Christopher Wai-Kei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019014:fas Receptor; D003907:Dexamethasone