title: The effects of corticosteroids on cytokine production from asthma lung lymphocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lymphocytes play a central role in the pathophysiology of asthma. Corticosteroids have a limited effect in severe asthma and we hypothesise that lymphocytes play a central role in corticosteroid insensitivity. We investigated the effects of corticosteroids on cytokine production from lung lymphocytes obtained from patients with moderate severe asthma (MSA) compared to mild asthma (MA) and healthy non-smokers (HNS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells obtained by bronchoscopy from patients with MSA and MA (n = 11 and n = 14 respectively) and HNS (n = 7) were stimulated with CD2/3/28 beads to activate the lymphocytes, in the presence or absence of dexamethasone (0.01-1 μM). Supernatants were assayed for IL-2, IFNγ, IL-17, IL-13 and IL-10 production.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dexamethasone caused variable inhibition of cytokines; 1 μM inhibited IL-10 and IL-17 by 50% or lower, while inhibition > 50% was observed for IL-2, IL-13 and IFNγ. The effect of dexamethasone on IL-13 production was reduced in MSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the production of specific lymphocyte derived cytokines is poorly suppressed by corticosteroids in MSA, which may be responsible for persistent airway inflammation in these patients
authors.forename: Manminder
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Lucy J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone