INFLUENCE OF THERAPY UPON LPS-INDUCED CYTOKINE SECRETION BY THE BLOOD-DERIVED INNATE IMMUNITY CELLS OF THE BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PATIENTS

Bronchial asthma (BA) is the most widespread chronic inflammatory disease. Since BA is associated with a systemic inflammation state, a comprehensive study of its effect in this disease, and influence of pathogenetic therapy should be performed, by studying the whole blood cytokine status of the patients suffering with BA. The cells from respiratory tract in acute-phase BA patients may produce pro-, as well as anti-inflammatory mediators. The anti-inflammatory mediators are able to suppress activity of immune cells in peripheral blood. Thus, the aim of present study was to evaluate eventual inflammation-associated and functional activity of immune cells from the patients’ peripheral blood in BA and following appropriate therapy. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) a classical pro-inflammatory agent. We have studied an LPSinduced cytokine-induced ex vivo secretion model by peripheral blood immune cells, as a relevant test for their functional activity. The LPS-induced responses of whole blood cells from patients with proven BA diagnosis have been studied at pre-treatment time points, and following two weeks of basic anti-inflammatory therapy. According to clinical indications, the antagonists of CysLTR1, or combinations of glucocorticosteroids and β-adrenoreceptor agonists were administered by inhalation to BA patients. LPS-induced production of TNFα, IL-6, IL-8 (at 6 h) and IFNγ, IL-17A or IL-1β (at 24 h) by whole blood cells from BA patients or healthy volunteers has been assessed by ELISA technique. The cytokine production from non-stimulated whole blood cells from BA patients and healthy volunteers were used as the baseline control. IL-4 concentrations in plasma of BA patients and healthy volunteers were also measured. We have shown a decrease of IL-6 production in control blood samples from BA patients after two weeks of therapy. This may indicate the attenuation of the observed inflammatory process. The therapy applied did not influence the background levels and LPS-induced secretion of IL-1β, IL-1ra, IFNγ, and IL-8 in whole blood samples from BA patients. IL-4 plasma levels in BA patients were not changed after two weeks of therapy. It has been shown that whole blood from BA patients produced less TNFα and IL-8, both in control samples, and during their response to LPS, than the values obtained in healthy volunteers. These findings are in agreement with a notion that BA causes partial depression of innate immune cells activity. The increased LPS-induc