The overproduction of nitric oxide associated with neutrophilic predominance is relevant to airway mycotic infections in asthmatics undergoing prolonged glucocorticoid treatment.
The complex relationship between the local inflammatory response and the spread of airway mycosis during prolonged glucocorticoid therapy in bronchial asthma patients remains unclear. We assessed the ability of airway leukocytes to produce nitric oxide (NO) in relation to differential inflammatory cell counts, levels of asthma severity, and coexisting airway mycotic infections. The study was carried out on leukocytes from the induced sputa (IS) of 14 patients with asthma complicated by mycotic airway infections undergoing prolonged glucocorticoid therapy (group FcA). Three groups of subjects without airway fungal infections were also studied: 18 glucocorticoid-treated asthmatics (group cA), 11 steroid-free asthmatics (group A), and 13 healthy control subjects (group H). In group FcA, both the level of spontaneous production of NO and the percentages of neutrophils in the IS were significantly higher than in all the remaining groups. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was noticed between the NO levels and both the percentages of neutrophils in the IS and the symptom intensity scores. The results suggest a possible predominant role of neutrophils in the overproduction of NO related to asthma severity and coexisting fungal infections in glucocorticoid-treated patients.
Cembrzyńska-Nowak
Monika
M
Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Science, R. Weigla 12, 53-114 Wrocław, Poland. nowak@iitd.pan.wroc.pl
Liebhart
Jerzy
J
Bieńkowska-Haba
Małgorzata
M
Liebhart
Ewa
E
Kulczak
Aleksandra
A
Siemieniec
Iwona
I
Dobek
Rafał
R
Dor
Anna
A
Barg
Wojciech
W
Panaszek
Bernard
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D009569:Nitric Oxide