Associations between antioxidant status, markers of oxidative stress and immune responses in allergic adults.
BACKGROUND
There has been growing interest in the role of antioxidant function in controlling inflammatory disease states, such as allergy. This study investigated the relationship between antioxidant status, markers of airways inflammation [exhaled nitric oxide (eNO)], oxidative stress (F(2) isoprostanes) and immune responses in allergic adults.


METHODS
Antioxidants (vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and selenium) and total antioxidant capacity (tAC) in serum were examined in relation to eNO, plasma F(2) isoprostanes and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytokine and lymphoproliferative response to house dust mite (HDM) allergen, Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB), phytohaemaglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in 54 allergic adults.


RESULTS
Firstly, levels of specific vitamins did not correlate with tAC. Secondly, we did not see any evidence that specific vitamin levels (or tAC) were associated with either polarization or attenuation of in vitro immune responses. If anything, there were positive correlations between antioxidant (vitamin C and selenium) levels and HDM allergen responses [lymphoproliferation (selenium; r=0.35, P=0.013) and both Th2 IL13 (vitamin C; tau=0.254, P=0.028) and Th1 IFN-gamma (vitamin C; tau=0.302, P=0.009) responses]. There were also significant positive relationships between antioxidant levels and IL-10 responses to polyclonal stimulation by SEB (r=0.292, P=0.036) and LPS (r=0.34, P=0.015) (beta-carotene) and PHA (r=0.34, P=0.021) (tAC). Thirdly, although airways inflammation (eNO) was associated with both in vitro and in vivo (skin test reactivity) to HDM, we did not see any correlation between eNO and oxidative stress (F(2)-isoprostanes). Finally, there were no consistent relationships between oxidative stress and immune responses.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no evidence that higher antioxidant levels were associated with reduced allergen responsiveness in allergic adults. If anything, antioxidant status was associated with increased immune responsiveness. The significance of this needs to be addressed in future intervention studies.
Dunstan
J A
JA
School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Breckler
L
L
Hale
J
J
Lehmann
H
H
Franklin
P
P
Lyons
G
G
Lyonso
G
G
Ching
S Y L
SY
Mori
T A
TA
Barden
A
A
Prescott
S L
SL
D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001944:Breath Tests; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007159:Immunologic Tests; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D004768:Enterotoxins; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019207:beta Carotene; D016753:Interleukin-10; D014810:Vitamin E; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal; D012643:Selenium; D001205:Ascorbic Acid