B cell-activating factor is a novel diagnosis parameter for asthma.
BACKGROUND
Asthma is a life-threatening immediate-type allergic disease. B cell-activating factor (BAFF) is a key regulator of B lymphocyte development and is required to generate and maintain the mature B cell pool.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the level of BAFF in the serum of asthma patients and the role of BAFF on T cells.


METHODS
The BAFF level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from asthma patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. T8.1 cells were used to test the role of BAFF on T cell-antigen-presenting cell (APC) conjugate formation.


RESULTS
The BAFF level in patient serum was elevated relative to normal serum. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration and the percentage of CD3+ T and CD19+ B cells vary according to the serum BAFF level. Patients with high BAFF and high IgE (group II) and those with high BAFF and low IgE (group III) show a high ratio of CD3+ T to CD19+ B cells, and the opposite is seen for patients with low BAFF and high IgE (group I) and those with low BAFF and low IgE (group IV). The addition of BAFF increased PBMC proliferation and T cell-APC conjugate formation. BAFF concentration in serum decreased after treatment with antiasthmatic drugs including glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the serum BAFF level is high in both IgE-mediated asthma and non-IgE-mediated asthma and extend our knowledge about the fact that BAFF may play a stimulatory role on the proliferation of T cells. Thus, BAFF could be a parameter to monitor the severity of asthma symptoms.
Kang
Jong-Soon
JS
Bio-Evaluation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yusong-Gu, Taejeon, Korea.
Yoon
Yeo-Dae
YD
Ahn
Joong-Hyun
JH
Kim
Seok-Chan
SC
Kim
Kwan-Hyoung
KH
Kim
Hwan-Mook
HM
Moon
Eun-Yi
EY
D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D018941:Antigens, CD19; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D015415:Biomarkers; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007073:Immunoglobulin E