Effect of BCG vaccination in asthmatic schoolchildren

Recent studies have explored the effect of Bacilli Calmette‐Guerin (BCG) or Mycobacterium vaccae vaccination in asthmatic patients, yielding conflicting results. We investigated the effect of BCG vaccination in asthmatic schoolchildren, especially focusing on the cytokine pattern released by mononuclear cells. After a 1‐yr run‐in period, 67 asthmatic schoolchildren received intradermal immunization with BCG (33 patients) or placebo (34 patients). Both groups were followed during 1 yr. Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels did not change after BCG (407.1 ± 86.6 vs. 415.1 ± 86.7 IU/ml, mean ± s.e.m.), but increased after placebo (406.7 ± 67.0 vs. 619.7 ± 90.7 IU/ml, p = 0.001) administration. Interleukin (IL)‐4 and interferon (IFN)‐γ measured in the supernatant of stimulated cultured blood mononuclear cells did not change in the BCG group (10.8 ± 2.3 vs. 17.9 ± 5.7 pg/ml, and 348.6 ± 118.0 vs. 354.8 ± 139.0 pg/ml, respectively), while in the control group IL‐4 increased (from 6.7 ± 1.3 to 16.1 ± 6.0 pg/ml, p