Alexander A G, Barnes N C, Kay A B, Corrigan C J
Dept of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Heart & Lung Institute, London, UK.
Eur Respir J. 1995 Apr;8(4):574-8.
Activated T-lymphocytes play an important role in asthma pathogenesis and release soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), which can be detected in the serum. In a recent randomized, cross-over trial we showed that cyclosporin, an inhibitor of T-lymphocyte activation, improved lung function in patients with chronic severe asthma. To investigate whether changes in serum sIL-2R concentration could be related to clinical response we prospectively compared serum sIL-2R concentrations in patients during cyclosporin and placebo treatment. Peripheral venous blood was obtained from 22 patients during the last 4 weeks of both the cyclosporin and placebo treatment periods and serum stored at -80 degrees C pending measurement of sIL-2R concentration by enzyme immunoassay. Soluble IL-2R was detected in all samples at a concentration range of 191-2,297 U.ml-1. Mean serum concentrations of sIL-2R were significantly lower on cyclosporin therapy (560 U.ml-1) as compared with placebo (676 U.ml-1). The decreases in serum sIL-2R concentrations associated with cyclosporin therapy in these patients correlated with the percentage increases in their morning peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurements on cyclosporin as compared with placebo. These data demonstrate that in patients with chronic severe asthma, cyclosporin therapy which results in clinical improvement is associated with a decrease in serum concentrations of sIL-2R. This is compatible with the hypothesis that cyclosporin ameliorates asthma, at least partly, by inhibition of T-lymphocyte activation.
活化的T淋巴细胞在哮喘发病机制中起重要作用，并释放可溶性白细胞介素-2受体（sIL-2R），其可在血清中检测到。在最近一项随机交叉试验中，我们表明环孢素，一种T淋巴细胞活化抑制剂，可改善慢性重度哮喘患者的肺功能。为了研究血清sIL-2R浓度的变化是否与临床反应相关，我们前瞻性地比较了环孢素和安慰剂治疗期间患者的血清sIL-2R浓度。在环孢素和安慰剂治疗期的最后4周内，从22例患者采集外周静脉血，血清储存于-80℃，待通过酶免疫测定法测量sIL-2R浓度。在所有样本中均检测到可溶性IL-2R，浓度范围为191-2297 U.ml-1。与安慰剂（676 U.ml-1）相比，环孢素治疗时sIL-2R的平均血清浓度显著降低（560 U.ml-1）。这些患者中环孢素治疗导致的血清sIL-2R浓度降低与环孢素治疗时早晨呼气峰值流速（PEFR）测量值相对于安慰剂的增加百分比相关。这些数据表明，在慢性重度哮喘患者中，导致临床改善的环孢素治疗与血清sIL-2R浓度降低相关。这与环孢素至少部分通过抑制T淋巴细胞活化改善哮喘的假说相符。
