Impact of circulating TGF-Beta and IL-10 on T cell cytokines in patients with asthma and tuberculosis.
Regulatory T cells, which stimulate or inhibit the effector functions of distinct T cell subsets, are critical in the control of the immune response. We investigated the effect of TGF-beta and IL-10 on T cell subsets according to the Th1/Th2 immune status. Sixty-two patients with asthma and 38 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were included. Allergy skin tests, tuberculin tests, and chest radiography were performed. The levels of circulating IL-4, IFN-gamma, TGF-beta1, and IL-10 were measured using ELISA. The level of TGF-beta1 was higher in patients with asthma than in those with tuberculosis, but the IL-10 levels were the same between the asthma and tuberculosis groups. Atopy was unrelated to the tuberculin response. The IFN-gamma level was correlated with the IL-10 level, and the level of IL-4 was unrelated to the IL-10 or TGF-beta1 level. The level of IL-10 was higher in the negative tuberculin reactors than in the positive tuberculin reactors among patients with asthma, and TGF-beta1 was higher in the positive tuberculin reactors than in the negative tuberculin reactors among patients with tuberculosis. These results demonstrate that the regulatory effects of circulating TGF-beta and IL-10 on T cell cytokines may be different between Th2-type asthma and Th1 tuberculosis.
Jang
An-Soo
AS
Asthma and Allergy Research Group, Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Sung-Woo
SW
Ahn
Mi-Hyun
MH
Park
Jong-Sook
JS
Kim
Do-Jin
DJ
Lee
June-Hyuk
JH
Park
Choon-Sik
CS
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012882:Skin Tests; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma