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Mucosal inflammation in severe glucocorticoid-dependent asthma

Mucosal inflammation in severe glucocorticoid-dependent asthma
Mucosal inflammation in severe glucocorticoid-dependent asthma
To improve our understanding of the inflammatory mechanisms underlying severe disease, a biopsy study was performed comparing 15 clinically unstable glucocorticoid-dependent asthmatics, 10 mild asthmatics, and 10 control subjects. Compared with mild asthma, severe asthma was characterized by reduced mucosal eosinophilia. Whilst no significant differences were found in the numbers of mast cells, neutrophils, CD3+ and CD4+ T-cells between the three groups, up to a 4-fold increase In the numbers of activated T-lymphocytes bearing the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor (IL-2R) was found in the mucosa in severe asthma compared to mild asthma (p = 0.03) and control subjects (p = 0.003). Compared to control subjects, the mucosa of severe asthmatics contained significantly (p = 0.02) higher numbers of IL-5+ cells, with no differences between mild and severe disease. In contrast, staining for the anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibody 3H4 revealed that biopsies from mild asthmatics contained more IL4+ cells than biopsies from severe asthmatics and control subjects (p = 0.0008). In the severe asthmatics, a close correlation (r(s) = 0.76, p = 0.005) was found between the numbers of IL-2R-bearing cells and the variability in peak expiratory flow. In conclusion, persistent T-cell activation is a prominent feature of severe asthma. These results also indicate that interleukin-5, and not interleukin-4, is upregulated in severe disease.
0903-1936
1245-1252
Vrugt, B.
d4c28d43-9943-42f4-b9f4-d3c082a6a2e4
Wilson, S.J.
21c6875d-6870-441b-ae7a-603562a646b8
Underwood, J.
5fa2bb90-acb2-478c-a499-d110198440a6
Bron, A.
e0354c49-ecc0-411b-9b75-a9c5e3dc5837
de Bruyn, R.
e2e8b245-1eee-4942-b8aa-5c1d7e1c954f
Bradding, P.
39990c99-3c21-44b6-b1f7-084eddf29722
Holgate, S.T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc
Djukanovic, R.
d9a45ee7-6a80-4d84-a0ed-10962660a98d
Aalbers, R.
d505a4b7-d33b-463e-a807-1c1a1cbb8896
Vrugt, B.
d4c28d43-9943-42f4-b9f4-d3c082a6a2e4
Wilson, S.J.
21c6875d-6870-441b-ae7a-603562a646b8
Underwood, J.
5fa2bb90-acb2-478c-a499-d110198440a6
Bron, A.
e0354c49-ecc0-411b-9b75-a9c5e3dc5837
de Bruyn, R.
e2e8b245-1eee-4942-b8aa-5c1d7e1c954f
Bradding, P.
39990c99-3c21-44b6-b1f7-084eddf29722
Holgate, S.T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc
Djukanovic, R.
d9a45ee7-6a80-4d84-a0ed-10962660a98d
Aalbers, R.
d505a4b7-d33b-463e-a807-1c1a1cbb8896

Vrugt, B., Wilson, S.J., Underwood, J., Bron, A., de Bruyn, R., Bradding, P., Holgate, S.T., Djukanovic, R. and Aalbers, R. (1999) Mucosal inflammation in severe glucocorticoid-dependent asthma. European Respiratory Journal, 13 (6), 1245-1252. (PMID:10445597)

Record type: Article

Abstract

To improve our understanding of the inflammatory mechanisms underlying severe disease, a biopsy study was performed comparing 15 clinically unstable glucocorticoid-dependent asthmatics, 10 mild asthmatics, and 10 control subjects. Compared with mild asthma, severe asthma was characterized by reduced mucosal eosinophilia. Whilst no significant differences were found in the numbers of mast cells, neutrophils, CD3+ and CD4+ T-cells between the three groups, up to a 4-fold increase In the numbers of activated T-lymphocytes bearing the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor (IL-2R) was found in the mucosa in severe asthma compared to mild asthma (p = 0.03) and control subjects (p = 0.003). Compared to control subjects, the mucosa of severe asthmatics contained significantly (p = 0.02) higher numbers of IL-5+ cells, with no differences between mild and severe disease. In contrast, staining for the anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibody 3H4 revealed that biopsies from mild asthmatics contained more IL4+ cells than biopsies from severe asthmatics and control subjects (p = 0.0008). In the severe asthmatics, a close correlation (r(s) = 0.76, p = 0.005) was found between the numbers of IL-2R-bearing cells and the variability in peak expiratory flow. In conclusion, persistent T-cell activation is a prominent feature of severe asthma. These results also indicate that interleukin-5, and not interleukin-4, is upregulated in severe disease.

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Published date: June 1999

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 191005
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/191005
ISSN: 0903-1936
PURE UUID: 63fe6f3b-7e95-4730-966b-d3328d3f23c8
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 15:44
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:36

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Contributors

Author: B. Vrugt
Author: S.J. Wilson ORCID iD
Author: J. Underwood
Author: A. Bron
Author: R. de Bruyn
Author: P. Bradding
Author: S.T. Holgate
Author: R. Djukanovic ORCID iD
Author: R. Aalbers

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