title: Production of interferon gamma in asthmatic patients with small bacille Calmette-Guerin scars: a pilot study.
abstract: Some studies suggest a decrease in interferon (IFN) gamma production among atopic individuals, and others refer to low IFN-gamma levels as a characteristic of asthma, regardless of the atopic state. Recent research has indicated a relation between asthma and a tendency toward a bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine scar with a small diameter, suggesting an association of this illness with the low production of IFN-gamma. The aim of this study was to check the hypothesis that asthmatic patients with a small BCG scar present low IFN-gamma production. This work was a quasi-experimental study. The capacity to produce IFN-gamma among 12 asthmatic patients with an average BCG vaccine scar diameter <5 mm was compared with 7 nonasthmatic individuals with scars > or =5 mm using whole blood cells stimulated by purified protein derivative (PPD), phorbol myristate acetatelionomycin (PMA/Iono) and medium (no stimulus). The study also analyzed the relation between IFN-gamma production after PPD stimulation and eosinophil count, total IgE, and dust-mite-specific IgE levels. The asthmatic patients presented a decrease in IFN-gamma production in comparison with a control group after PPD stimulation (p < 0.02). However, the same was not observed when PMA/Iono stimulation was used or when no stimulation was used. Asthmatic patients with small BCG scars showed a decrease in IFN-gamma production, suggesting that there may be an intrinsic characteristic of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Section of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. fhbo@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Francisca H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Sílvia W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Sarinho
authors.forename: Sílvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: Clarice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neuenschwander
authors.forename: Rosangela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: Décio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schor
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarinho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma