Clinical characteristics, cytokine profiles and plasma IgE in adults with asthma
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2022
Abstract
Asthma is a disease with complicated network of inflammatory responses of cytokines and ImmunoglobulinE (IgE). The aim of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics, cytokine profile and plasma IgE in the Malaysian population. This is a cross-sectional study involving physician-diagnosed asthma patients (n = 287) recruited from the Chest Clinic, University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Blood (8 mL) was taken after consent was obtained. The peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) were cultured in presence of a mitogen for 72 h to quantify cytokines Interleukin-5(IL-5), Interleukin-9 (IL-9), Interleukin-12 Beta (IL-12 beta) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)] and plasma was used to quantify IgE levels with commercial ELISA kits. Results were compared against the same biomarkers in healthy subjects (n = 203). In addition, the amount of the biomarkers in the asthma patients were compared with their disease severity and clinical characteristics. Statistical tests in the SPSS software (Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal Wallis) were used to compare cytokine production and plasma IgE levels. The mean plasma IgE level was markedly higher (p < 0.0001) in asthmatics compared to controls. There were higher levels of IL-5, IL-9, IL-12 beta and GM-CSF (p < 0.0001) produced by cultured PBL from asthma patients compared to controls. However, our results did not expose a significant association between these cytokine levels and severity and clinical symptoms of asthma. However, there was a marked association between asthma severity and blood lymphocyte count chi(2)(2) = 6.745, p < 0.05]. These findings support the roles played by cytokines and IgE in the airway inflammation in asthma. The findings of this study provide new information about inflammatory cytokines in Malaysian asthma patients.
Keywords
Asthma, Cytokines, Eosinophils, IgE, Lymphocytes
Divisions
fac_med
Funders
Ministry of Education, Malaysia [Grant No:ERGS/1/2013/SKK01/MAHSA/02/01],MAHSA [Grant No:RP90-02/16],University Malaya Postgraduate, IPPPGrant [Grant No:PG196-2015B]
Publication Title
Molecular Immunology
Volume
143
Publisher Location
THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND