Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and cellular profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with bronchial asthma (original) (raw)
1993, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
To elucidate the role of T-cell activation in the physiologic changes and cellular infiltrations in the bronchial tree of patients with symptomatic bronchial asthma, we measured the concentration of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), cellular compositions and IL-2R expression on cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. We also measured physiologic parameters, including a provocation concentration of h&amine required to reduce the forced expiratory volume in I second by 20% of the prechallenge baseline (PC,,). Results: The concentration of sIL-2R and the ratio of IL-2R expression on CD3 positive lymphocytes were significantly higher in BAL fluid from 20 patients with symptomatic bronchial asthma than concentrations in fluid from nine healthy controls (p < 0.01) and six asymptomatic patients with bronchial asthma (p < 0.05). The concentration of slL-2R correlated with the percentage of IL-2R expression on CD3 positive lymphocytes (r, = 0.709, p < 0.01). There was no d@erence in sIL-2R concentration of BAL fluid between the healthy control and the patient with asymptomatic bronchial asthma. Among the inflammatory cells recovered in BAL fluid, the percentages of eosinophils showed signihcant positive correlation with the concentration of sIL-2R in BAL fluid in the patients with bronchial asthma. The concentration of slL-2R significantly correlated with forced expiratory volume one second, peak expiratoly flow rate, and PCz, when observed in all study subjects, but not in the patients with bronchial asthma. Conclusion: We conclude that T-cell activation within the bronchial tree appears to have a role in the infiltration of eosinophils into the bronchial tree, which may lead to enhanced bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with bronchial asthma. (J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL 1993;91:623-33.) Key words: Soluble interleukin-2 receptor, bronchial asthma, eosinophils, bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchial hyperreactivity Bronchial asthma is a form of inflammatory airway disease.' The role of infiltrating inflammatory cells in the bronchial tree has received much attention with respect to their ability to induce inflammation: such