Aim: Study of the interferon system (IFN) and the production of major cytokines in patients with bronchial asthma of various course severity.
Materials and methods: 204 patients with atopic bronchial asthma (BA); 32 patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and 93 mostly healthy volunteers were examined. Blood cells of patients with BA of various course severity were studied by biological method in HEP cell culture for the ability to produce IFN. Levels of cytokines in the blood sera were determined by EIA method with the corresponding commercial test systems: IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and IFN-gamma according to user manual.
Results: Disorders in the ability ofleukocytes to produce IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma were detected in patients with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis. Misbalance in the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines depending on the level of disease severity was noted. The highest serum IFN-gamma was noticed in patients with mild persistence BA course, that is most probably determined by higher frequency of ARVI in this group of patients. Maximum level of IL-10 was detected in mild BA form and was nearly undetected in the severe course of the infection, which is characterized by higher content of IL-4 in blood sera.
Conclusion: Increase of course severity of chronic (allergic) inflammation in bronchial tissue and higher frequency of ARVI among patients with persistent BA of medium and severe course is characterized by a lack of interferon link of the immune system and disorders of regulatory mechanisms, that is expressed by a change in the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 parameters and decrease of IL-10 content in blood sera.