Immune Response Profiles During Asthma Attacks and Intercritical Periods In Children

Asthma is a serious public health problem due to its socioeconomic impact worldwide and affects over three hundred million individuals. This chronic inflammatory airway disease causes hyperresponsiveness, obstruction, increased mucus production and airway remodeling. Due to research advances, our understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma has changed, as has our knowledge of the cells and mediators involved in the inflammation and remodeling that result from asthma exacerbations. The acknowledgement that asthma is much more than an inflammatory disorder that involves the T helper (Th)1-Th2 dichotomy led us to conduct the present study, which aims to determine the attack x intercritical period profile in patients with asthma. The study determined the cytokine (interleukin [IL] 1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17 and interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]), basophil, eosinophil and immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IgG4 profile in 30 children with asthma during attacks and in the intercritical period. The correlations between Th1 and Th2 and between Th17 and regulatory T cells (Treg) were analyzed, and no significant correlations were observed. We observed higher IL-15 and IFNγ levels in patients with asthma than in controls, and no significant differences in IL-17 levels were observed when children with asthma and controls were compared.