Cytokine production by peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in atopic childhood asthma

Abstract

There are conflicting studies on T cell cytokine production in childhood asthma. In this study intracellular cytokine expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in children with atopic asthma were measured by flow cytometry. Results. A significant increase in the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing IL-4 and IL-13 and decrease in the percentage of CD4 + producing IFN-γ in asthmatic children was found. The percentage of CD4+/IL-13+ was significantly higher in severe asthma than in children with intermittent disease symptoms. Severity of asthma was associated with increased both serum IgE and frequencies of CD4 +/IL-13+ T cells, as well as duration of disease. Moreover, a decrease in FEV1, FEV1/FVC was observed in relation to the severity of asthma. Changes in cytokine profile in CD8+ subpopulation didn't depend on the severity of the disease. Conclusions. Increased production of IL-4 and IL-13 in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells accompanied by decreased IFN-γ expression in CD4+ T cells may be evidence that both lymphocyte subpopulations are implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. Relationship of CD4+/IL-13+ T cells with disease activity suggests that this lymphocyte subset may have a prominent role in childhood asthma. Copyright © 2010 Edyta Machura et al.