Eosinophil traffic in the circulation following allergen challenge

Expression of surface markers on the blood cells during the delayed asthmatic response to allergen challenge

Patients with bronchial asthma develop various types of asthmatic response to bronchial challenge with allergen, such as immediate/early asthmatic response (IAR), late asthmatic response (LAR) or delayed asthmatic response (DYAR), because of different immunologic mechanisms. The DYAR, occurring between 24 and 56 hours after the bronchial allergen challenge (p < 0.01), differs from IAR and LAR in clinical as well as immunologic features. This study investigates the expression of CD molecules (markers) on the surface of particular cell populations in the peripheral blood and their changes during the DYAR. In 17 patients developing the DYAR (p < 0.01), the bronchial challenge with allergen was repeated 2-6 weeks later. The repeated DYAR (p < 0.001) was combined with recording of CD molecule expression on various types of blood cells by means of flow cytometry up to 72 hours after the challenge. The results were expressed in percent of the mean relative fluorescence intensity. The DYAR was accompanied by (a) increased expression of CD11b, CD11b/18, CD16,CD32, CD35, CD62E, CD62L, CD64, and CD66b on neutrophils; CD203C on basophils; CD25 and CD62L on eosinophils; CD14, CD16, CD64, and CD86 on monocytes; CD3, CD4, CD8, CD11a, CD18, and CD69 on lymphocytes; CD16, CD56, CD57, and CD94 on natural killer (NK) cells; and CD31, CD41, CD61, CD62P, and CD63 on thrombocytes and (b) decreased expression of CD18 and CD62L on eosinophils, CD15 on neutrophils, and CD40 on lymphocytes. These results suggest involvement of cell-mediated hypersensitivity mechanism, on participation of Th1- lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, NK cells, and thrombocytes in the DYAR.

Increased expression of collagen receptors: alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1 integrins on blood eosinophils in bronchial asthma

BACKGROUND

Eosinophils are one of the major effector cells in bronchial asthma. Their infiltration of airways correlates with the asthma severity. Recruitment and activation of eosinophils are partially mediated by integrins alpha4beta1 and alpha4beta7. Collagens type I and IV constitute important components of extracellular matrix and vascular basement membrane, respectively. Therefore, collagen-binding integrins (alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1) may also play a role in eosinophil lung infiltration.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the possible presence of alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1 integrins on peripheral blood eosinophils from asthmatic subjects.

METHODS

Collagen receptors were studied on eosinophils separated by immunomagnetic CD16-negative method from healthy donors (n=13) and patients with moderate persistent atopic bronchial asthma (n=15). Surface receptor identification was performed by flow cytometry and cell adhesion assay.

RESULTS

Eosinophils isolated from the patients showed increased expression of both alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1 integrins as compared with healthy controls. Moreover, adhesive function of eosinophils to collagen type IV was inhibited by snake venom disintegrins: viperistatin and obtustatin. These disintegrins contain KTS active motif and are specific inhibitors of alpha1beta1 integrin.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated for the first time that collagen receptors: alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1 integrins are overexpressed on the surface of peripheral blood eosinophils of asthmatic subjects. Further studies may reveal potential application of KTS-disintegrins or their structural analogs for therapy of bronchial asthma.

Do circulating leucocytes and lymphocyte subtypes increase in response to brief exercise in children with and without asthma?

BACKGROUND

Exercise can alter health in children in both beneficial (eg reduced long-term risk of atherosclerosis) and adverse (eg exercise-induced asthma) ways. The mechanisms linking exercise and health are not known, but may rest, partly, on the ability of exercise to increase circulating immune cells. Little is known about the effect of brief exercise, more reflective of naturally occurring patterns of physical activity in children, on immune cell responses.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether (1) a 6-min bout of exercise can increase circulating inflammatory cells in healthy children and (2) the effect of brief exercise is greater in children with a history of asthma.

METHODS

Children with mild-moderate persistent asthma and age-matched controls (n = 14 in each group, mean age 13.6 years) performed a 6-min bout of cycle-ergometer exercise. Spirometry was performed at baseline and after exercise. Blood was drawn before and after exercise, leucocytes were quantified and key lymphocyte cell surface markers were assessed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Exercise decreased spirometry only in children with asthma, but increased (p<0.001) most types of leucocytes (eg lymphocytes (controls, mean (SD) 1210 (208) cells/microl; children with asthma, 1119 (147) cells/microl) and eosinophils (controls, 104 (22) cells/microl; children with asthma, 88 (20) cells/microl)) to the same degree in both groups. Similarly, exercise increased T helper cells (controls, 248 (60) cells/microl; children with asthma, 232 (53) cells/microl) and most other lymphocyte subtypes tested. By contrast, although basophils (16 (5) cells/microl) and CD4+ CD45RO+ RA+ lymphocytes (19 (4) cells/microl) increased in controls, no increase in these cell types was found in children with asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

Exercise increased many circulating inflammatory cells in both children with asthma and controls. Circulating inflammatory cells did increase in children with asthma, but not to a greater degree than in controls. In fact, basophils and T helper lymphocyte memory transition cells did not increase in children with asthma, whereas they did increase in controls. Even brief exercise in children and adolescents robustly mobilizes circulating immune cells.