title: Immune modulator pidotimod decreases the in vitro expression of CD30 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of atopic asthmatic and normal children.
abstract: Recurrent viral infections are frequently observed in children with atopic asthma. In this study we investigated the ability of the synthetic immunomodulator pidotimod to affect in vitro the phenotype and/or cytokine profile of blood cells in relation to atopic asthma. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 13 atopic asthmatic and 9 normal children and stimulated in culture with mitogen either in the presence or not of the drug. Expression of surface markers was evaluated by flow cytometry, and production of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma was measured in supernatants. Pidotimod was able to down-regulate the expression of CD30 on cells from both atopic and normal subjects. Because CD30 has been associated with Th-2 cells, this observation supports the possibility of pidotimod being able to affect the Th-1/Th-2 balance in atopic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories, 2nd Department of Paediatrics, University of Athens, School of Medicine, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gourgiotis
authors.forename: Nikolaos G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bossios
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamanis
authors.forename: Photini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saxoni-Papageorgiou
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000187:drug effects*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000187:drug effects; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053778:Thiazolidines
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D013844:Thiazoles; D053778:Thiazolidines; C064893:pidotimod; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid