Specific immunological modulation of lymphocyte adenylate cyclase in asthmatic patients after allergenic bronchial provocation.

Adenylate cyclase responses to isoproterenol, histamine, 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (GppNHp) and NaF were measured in lymphocyte membranes of allergic asthmatic patients and healthy control subjects, just before and 24 h after inhalation challenge with house dust mite allergen or histamine. In the nonacute phase before the challenges, the adenylate cyclase responses in the cell membranes of the patients were not significantly different from those in membranes of the control subjects. House dust mite challenge caused a significant decrease of all adenylate cyclase responses in the cell membranes of the patients by about 40-50%. By contrast, histamine provocation of the patients had no effect on these parameters, nor was there any effect of both challenges on the adenylate cyclase activity of the control membranes. The results indicate that allergen-induced asthmatic reactions may cause nonspecific refractoriness of lymphocyte adenylate cyclase. Since histamine-induced bronchial obstruction had no effect in the patients, it appears that the adenylate cyclase response is specifically modulated by the allergic process.