[Analysis of intracellular cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-4 in peripheral blood T cells in children with bronchospastic reaction].
In the epidemiological study there was suggested that respiratory tract infections--were a strong risk factors for the beginning and development of bronchial asthma. The aim of the study was the evaluation of intracellular cytokine IL-4 and IFN-gamma on peripheral blood T subsets in children with atopic asthma (AA) and recurrent respiratory tract infection with bronchospasm (RRTI).


METHODS
Peripheral blood T cells were stained with fluorescence-labelled antibodies specific for intracellular cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-4 and cell surface markers CD3, CD4 and CD8, and were subjected to flow-cytometric analysis.


RESULTS
Comparing peripheral blood lymphocytes of atopic asthma patients with those of recurrent infections we found significantly more cells positive for IL-4 in asthma patients than in recurrent infection patients, both in the CD3+ subsets (p<0.03) and CD4+ subset (p<0.01). We have also found that percentage of CD4+ was significantly lower (p<0.007) and percentage of CD8+ cells was significantly higher (p<0.05) in RRTI group comparing to atopic asthma patients. In AA group there was a significant increase intracellular expression of IL-4 among the CD3+ (p<0.03) and CD4+ (p<0.01) subsets and no significant differences among CD8+ subset. In AA group there was a significant decrease ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 among all of the evaluated subsets.


CONCLUSIONS
Basing oneself on these results we conclude that markers of atopy are: increased intracellular expression of IL-4 among CD4+ cells and decreased IFN-gamma.
Stasiak-Barmuta
Anna
A
Zaklad Alergologii Dzieciecej Akademii Medycznej, Dzieciecy Szpital Kliniczny, 15-274 Bialystok, ul. J. Waszyngtona 17. abarmuta@polbox.com
Moniuszko
Tadeusz
T
Rutkowski
Ryszard
R
Rutkowska-Rogacz
Danuta
D
D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000276:immunology*; D001986:Bronchial Spasm / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000097:blood; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma