Effect of interleukin-33 on Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio in peripheral lymphocytes in asthmatic mice.
BACKGROUND
Allergic asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease partly characterised by high concentration of T help 2 (Th2) cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). There is no report on the relation of peripherally circulating blood lymphocytes and asthma. We explored the balance of Th2/Th1 cytokines in asthmatic mice. Exogenous recombinant interleukin (IL) 33 acted on murine peripheral circulating blood lymphocytes, IL-5 cytokine was selected for assessing Th2 cytokines and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) for Th1 cytokines.


METHODS
Female specific pathogen free BABL/c mice were sensitised by intraperitoneal injection of 20 µg of ovalbumin emulsified in 1 mg of aluminium hydroxide gel in a total volume of 200 µl, and challenged for 30 minutes in 7 consecutive days with an aerosol of 2 g ovalbumin in 100 ml of PBS. Then we collected BALF and isolated lymphocytes from the peripheral blood. The lymphocytes were divided into two groups: asthmatic group and normal group. Th1/Th2 cytokines was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.


RESULTS
In the asthma group, we found numerous eosinophils and lymphocytes on the glass slides. We then confirmed that the optimal concentration of IL-33 was 10 ng/ml and time of IL-33 stimulating lymphocytes was 24 hours. In the asthma group, the production of IL-5 was significantly increased over normal group after stimulation with IL-33 (P < 0.05) and the production of IFNγ was supressed from IL-33 stimulated lymphocytes (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
IL-33 acts on lymphocytes of peripheral blood increasing secretion of Th2 cytokines and inhibiting secretion of Th1 cytokines.
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Xinliang
X
He
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Wei
W
Wu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Yan
Y
Lu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Yali
Y
Guo
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Chaoliang
C
Hu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Yuyun
Y
Huang
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Yuzu
Y
Xu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Jungang
J
Xie
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. Email: zhaojp88@126.com.
Jianping
J
Zhao
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
C506536:IL33 protein, human; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins; D007371:Interferon-gamma