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Effects of theophylline on inflammatory cells and cytokines in asthmatic subjects: a placebo-controlled parallel group study

Effects of theophylline on inflammatory cells and cytokines in asthmatic subjects: a placebo-controlled parallel group study
Effects of theophylline on inflammatory cells and cytokines in asthmatic subjects: a placebo-controlled parallel group study
The anti-inflammatory effects of oral theophylline on cells in bronchial biopsies of symptomatic atopic asthmatic subjects were investigated. Following a 2 week run-in period, asthmatic subjects were randomly assigned to either placebo (n=11) or theophylline (n=15). Bronchial biopsies were taken at fibre-optic bronchoscopy at the beginning and end of a 6 week period, during which subjects took placebo or theophylline medication at a dose intended to produce therapeutic concentrations. Nine of the placebo subjects and 12 of the theophylline subjects completed the study. Improvement in asthma control was seen in the theophylline-treated group. The mean (SD) theophylline blood level at the end of the study was 10.9 (6.0) microg x mL-1. A significant decrease in interleukin (IL)4 expression from 1.38 to 1.04 cells x mm-2 (<0.05) and a trend to a reduction in IL-5 from 1.29 to 0.48 cells x mm-2 (NS) were seen in biopsies from the theophylline-treated group compared with placebo, although there was no change in mast cell numbers (judged by tryptase expression). A decrease in epithelial CD8+ cells from 2.60 to 0.53 cells x mm-1 of surface (<0.05) was noted. This study shows an anti-inflammatory effect of theophylline in asthmatic bronchi, both in cell numbers and in the expression of IL-4, believed to be an important cytokine in the pathophysiology of asthmatic inflammation. We speculate that theophylline induces downregulation in vivo of cytokine production, accounting for the known inhibitory effect of theophylline on the late asthmatic reaction.
0903-1936
1672-1677
Finnerty, J.P.
bb6b2e86-02e0-402c-875a-7c7359cc79a8
Lee, C.
774e8767-13f8-4725-bc9f-c1200ccd78ab
Wilson, S.J.
21c6875d-6870-441b-ae7a-603562a646b8
Madden, J.
0771e352-d432-41ea-8a7e-4704c1efca46
Djukanovic, R.
d9a45ee7-6a80-4d84-a0ed-10962660a98d
Holgate, S.T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc
Finnerty, J.P.
bb6b2e86-02e0-402c-875a-7c7359cc79a8
Lee, C.
774e8767-13f8-4725-bc9f-c1200ccd78ab
Wilson, S.J.
21c6875d-6870-441b-ae7a-603562a646b8
Madden, J.
0771e352-d432-41ea-8a7e-4704c1efca46
Djukanovic, R.
d9a45ee7-6a80-4d84-a0ed-10962660a98d
Holgate, S.T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc

Finnerty, J.P., Lee, C., Wilson, S.J., Madden, J., Djukanovic, R. and Holgate, S.T. (1996) Effects of theophylline on inflammatory cells and cytokines in asthmatic subjects: a placebo-controlled parallel group study. European Respiratory Journal, 9 (8), 1672-1677. (doi:10.1183/09031936.96.09081672). (PMID:8866593)

Record type: Article

Abstract

The anti-inflammatory effects of oral theophylline on cells in bronchial biopsies of symptomatic atopic asthmatic subjects were investigated. Following a 2 week run-in period, asthmatic subjects were randomly assigned to either placebo (n=11) or theophylline (n=15). Bronchial biopsies were taken at fibre-optic bronchoscopy at the beginning and end of a 6 week period, during which subjects took placebo or theophylline medication at a dose intended to produce therapeutic concentrations. Nine of the placebo subjects and 12 of the theophylline subjects completed the study. Improvement in asthma control was seen in the theophylline-treated group. The mean (SD) theophylline blood level at the end of the study was 10.9 (6.0) microg x mL-1. A significant decrease in interleukin (IL)4 expression from 1.38 to 1.04 cells x mm-2 (<0.05) and a trend to a reduction in IL-5 from 1.29 to 0.48 cells x mm-2 (NS) were seen in biopsies from the theophylline-treated group compared with placebo, although there was no change in mast cell numbers (judged by tryptase expression). A decrease in epithelial CD8+ cells from 2.60 to 0.53 cells x mm-1 of surface (<0.05) was noted. This study shows an anti-inflammatory effect of theophylline in asthmatic bronchi, both in cell numbers and in the expression of IL-4, believed to be an important cytokine in the pathophysiology of asthmatic inflammation. We speculate that theophylline induces downregulation in vivo of cytokine production, accounting for the known inhibitory effect of theophylline on the late asthmatic reaction.

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Published date: August 1996
Organisations: Infection Inflammation & Immunity

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 191017
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/191017
ISSN: 0903-1936
PURE UUID: 9eb832ab-0198-46c9-95cc-b21ef96c1a11
ORCID for S.J. Wilson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1305-8271
ORCID for R. Djukanovic: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6039-5612

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Date deposited: 20 Jun 2011 13:03
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:36

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Contributors

Author: J.P. Finnerty
Author: C. Lee
Author: S.J. Wilson ORCID iD
Author: J. Madden
Author: R. Djukanovic ORCID iD
Author: S.T. Holgate

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