High plasma levels of the TSLP cytokine in Saudi patients with chronic stable asthma

Abstract

Allergic asthma is an inflammatory bronchial disease associated with the IgE response, allergic inflammation of the airways, recruitment of infiltrated inflammatory cells, increased mucus production, constriction of airways, and difficulty breathing. TSLP cytokine is derived mainly from airway epithelial cells and have been shown to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of asthma. This study was designed to determine the plasma protein concentrations of total IgE and TSLP cytokines in patients with chronic stable asthma. Furthermore, we examined TSLP-r in B cells and determined whether the expression of TSLP is correlated with increased total IgE. Thirty-one patients with chronic stable asthma and nineteen normal controls were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were separated using the Ficoll gradient method, and plasma and lymphocyte cells were collected. Plasma levels of total IgE and TSLP were quantified in patients with asthma and normal controls by specific ELISAs. Moreover, the surface expression of TSLP-r on B cells was analyzed using flow cytometry. Total IgE protein concentrations in the plasma of patients with chronic stable asthma (344 IU/ml, P < 0.002) were considerably higher than those in normal controls (mean 130 IU/ml). TSLP levels were significantly higher in the asthma group (78 Pg/ml, P < 0.02) than those in the normal control group (40 pg/ml). Additionally, the expression of TSLP-r was markedly higher in asthma patients (430 × 103 MFI, P < 0.0065) than in normal controls (280 × 103). Collectively, the findings indicate that measuring plasma levels of TSLP in patients with stable asthma can be used to assess asthma symptoms and possibly evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy.