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EG |
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| Egypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol |
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2012 |
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10 |
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39-43 |
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ESP - 25 |
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Original articles |
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| Study of Treg FOXP3 in childhood bronchial asthma in relation to
corticosteroid therapy |
| Tarek A. Abdel Gawad |
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Asmaa A. Al Sharkawy |
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Amal Mansour |
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Amira Yousef |
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| Background: T cells are considered the main cells responsible for
production of suppressive cytokines, and play a key role in balancing the
immune responses to maintain the peripheral tolerance against
allergens.
Objective: The present study investigates T regulatory (Treg) forkheadwinged
helix protein 3 FOXP3 expression in childhood asthma and its
relation to corticosteroid therapy.
Methods: In this case control study, Treg FOXP3 was measured in blood
of 60 children using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
technique. Two asthmatic groups were included, one on corticosteroid
therapy (20 patients) and the other not on corticosteroid treatment (20
patients). They were compared to 20 healthy children as controls.
Results: FOXP3 concentration was significantly elevated in asthmatic
patients (90 ± 77.4) compared to healthy children (12.844 ± 10.6) (p=
0.000). FOXP3 was significantly more elevated in asthmatics on
corticosteroids (161.158 ± 63.9) than steroid naive asthmatics (36.038 ±
23.4) (p=0.000). Levels of Treg FOXP3 in asthmatics with inhaled
corticosteroids (mean 151.16 ± 53.79) were almost similar to FOXP3 in
asthmatics with systemic corticosteroids (161.49±72.5) (p>0.05). FOXP3
levels did not differ with smoking, asthma severity or disease control and
did not correlate with age, FEV1, blood lymphocytes percentage or
eosinophils percentage.
Conclusion: Asthmatics have increased expression of FOXP3, and
corticosteroid therapy –whether oral or inhaled - enhances FOXP3
expression. |
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