Obase Y, Shimoda T, Mitsuta K, Matsuo N, Matsuse H, Kohno S
The Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2001 Mar;86(3):304-10. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63303-0.
Eosinophil counts and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels in the airway are elevated in asthmatic patients. However, few studies have examined the correlation between various cytokines in the sputum and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in young adults with or without asthma.
We examined the correlation between AHR and eosinophil counts or ECP, and levels of several cytokines in the sputum.
We studied 120 nonsmoker students (group 1: intermittent mild asthmatic patients; group 2: subjects with history of childhood asthma; group 3: subjects sensitized by Dermatophagoides farinae with atopic disease; group 4: normal subjects sensitized by D. farinae; group 5: subjects with cedar pollinosis; and group 6: normal subjects). In each subject, AHR and lung function tests were measured, together with eosinophil count, ECP, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, TNF-alpha, IL-5, and interleukin-1beta in induced sputum.
AHR in groups 1 and group 2 were high, in groups 5 and 6 low, and in groups 3 and 4 lower than in groups 1 and 2 but higher than groups 5 and 6. Percentages of eosinophils, ECP, and TNF-alpha in induced sputum in groups 1 and 2 were high, those in groups 5 and 6 were below detection limits, and those in groups 3 and 4 were lower than the percentages in groups 1 and 2. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the sputum was elevated only in group 1. The correlations between AHR and sputum eosinophil count, ECP, and TNF-alpha were significant, with the strongest correlation with TNF-alpha.
Our results suggest that TNF-alpha levels in the sputum play an important role in determining the severity of AHR in young individuals. Further once AHR develops, it does not disappear, and the severity of airway inflammation influences the extent of AHR.
哮喘患者气道中的嗜酸性粒细胞计数和嗜酸性粒细胞阳离子蛋白（ECP）水平会升高。然而，很少有研究探讨有或没有哮喘的年轻成年人痰液中各种细胞因子与气道高反应性（AHR）之间的相关性。
我们研究了AHR与嗜酸性粒细胞计数或ECP以及痰液中几种细胞因子水平之间的相关性。
我们研究了120名不吸烟的学生（第1组：间歇性轻度哮喘患者；第2组：有儿童哮喘病史的受试者；第3组：被粉尘螨致敏的特应性疾病受试者；第4组：被粉尘螨致敏的正常受试者；第5组：有雪松花粉症的受试者；第6组：正常受试者）。对每个受试者进行AHR和肺功能测试，并检测诱导痰液中的嗜酸性粒细胞计数、ECP、粒细胞-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子、TNF-α、IL-5和白细胞介素-1β。
第1组和第2组的AHR较高，第5组和第6组较低，第3组和第4组低于第1组和第2组但高于第5组和第6组。第1组和第2组诱导痰液中的嗜酸性粒细胞、ECP和TNF-α百分比很高，第5组和第6组低于检测限，第3组和第4组低于第1组和第2组的百分比。痰液中的粒细胞-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子仅在第1组中升高。AHR与痰液嗜酸性粒细胞计数、ECP和TNF-α之间的相关性显著，与TNF-α的相关性最强。
我们的结果表明，痰液中的TNF-α水平在决定年轻人AHR的严重程度方面起重要作用。进一步而言，一旦AHR发生，它不会消失，气道炎症的严重程度会影响AHR的程度。
